Pokémon Ghost
by DarkenRaichu
Summary: A group of trainers adventuring through the Pokémon World. However, while at first this might seem the safe, familiar world of the Pokémon games, something is moving under the surface. [Reviews are welcome]
1. Prologue: Busy Night at the Lab

Oak's Lab was far from the tidiest place in Pallet Town: anyone that entered it would have noticed the shelves were filled with books turned upside down, the desks were covered in papers and documents, photos of Pokémon from all over Kanto, along with documentation on their diet, behavior and relation with humans. Oak himself was in the deck furthest from the entrance, putting the finishing touch on his masterpieces: four items of four different colors: blue, red, black and green. Each of those Pokédex was to be given to one of the trainers he had selected… Once he had actually selected them.

"That's the hardest part." He thought, rising his head from the desk and staring at the ceiling – noticing a rather impressive amount of mold on it, his fault for testing the range of a Water Gun attack indoor weeks ago and never opening a window afterwards – and rubbed his forehead. He moved himself along with the entire chair to another desk. There was a list of over a hundred applicants from all over Kanto, although half of them were from Pallet Town. And it was his job to read each of those and figure out who were the best choice to get a Dex. He stared at the one at the top, his nephew. For a second he struggled with the name, then sighed and decided to read it. "Blue Oak." He thought "Those memory gaps are getting worse. I really need to see a doctor. I have spent way too much time locked in here, that's not good on the brain."

But he was so close, he thought turning around to stare at the four Pokédex. The research from Dr. Fuji had allowed him to bring the number to 151, though he still doubted the last two to be real. "Mew and Mewtwo… I guess it doesn't hurt to have them, if the four can't find proof of their existence I can always delete them and tell Fuji he should send further research to have them included again."

Patiently, he started reading the applications one by one. He discarded underage applicants – why would they even bother, who would use kids for a scientific endeavor like this one? – and applicants that did not have the proper grades from Pokémon Training Academies. He needed trainers good enough to be able to survive on their own in the wild, and to take part in the League challenge in order to analyze how competitive training affects the growth of all those involved, human or Pokémon alike. Maybe not the future Champion, but certainly not someone that would give up after the first Gym.

Then there was the matter of personal character. That was hard to gauge from just a basic document he had required from teachers, but at least it helped remove people the experts were unwilling to back up as possible candidates. After four intense hours he was done with his choices. Blue was one, unsurprisingly. Top of the class in Pallet Town Training Academy, all teachers agreed he was both an excellent trainer and a good person, if incredibly arrogant. He sighed again, like he had many times before. His grandson was too full of himself, yes. He hoped this journey would teach him at least a modicum of modesty.

The second and third were from the same Academy too, and the same class as well. "People will think I did it on purpose, but those two are the best candidates, I'd bet my PhDs on it." He thought, looking at the pictures. A boy with brown hair and light blue eyes and a girl with dark blonde hair and the eyes in a shade of green. He pondered for a moment more before nodding. Both had stellar grades, even if a bit lower than his grandson.

Finally, Oak took a look at the fourth one. Lavender Town Trainer Academy, that was a rarity. Most people from Lavender Town would go to the biggest Academy in Kanto, the Saphron City Academy. In fact, Lavender had so few trainees they did the final exam with those from Saphron. And this was the young man that had managed to pass the entire test using only a single Pokémon, quite the stellar achievement. His professors described him as someone "a bit too full of himself with strangers, and sometimes overreacting to relatively low provocation, but a good person under these flaws", and were convinced he would be a good choice. Samuel Oak pondered it for a moment and then finally nodded. Those four would be fine. Something like this was somewhat experimental anyway, if things went badly he could have always declared the Pokédex test a failure.

He quickly checked the clock. 8.30 AM. "Yet another night lost, fantastic." He thought, picking up the phone and starting to make the calls to the three households of the other candidates. Hopefully someone would answer and he could set up a date. As the first phone rang, he looked up at the moldy ceiling again. "Maybe a date after I have cleaned a bit."


	2. Chapter 1: Gas and Water don't mix well

Raziel woke up without a sound, turned to the alarm clock, shaped like a skull, and turned it off. Then he pondered why he had to wake up at 6 AM, over four hours before his usual in a non-working day. Then he remembered.

"Oh shit, the Pokédex ceremony." He realized. He stood up, quickly dressed in his usual attire, mostly consisting of shades of black – no, he refused the label of goth, he just liked the color – with a Marowak skull on the shirt – no, not a punk either – and slowly walked into the kitchen. His father looked at him over the newspaper. "Didn't know Romero's zombies were in my house."

"Very funny." Raziel muttered, following the words with a long yawn, followed by a quick breakfast.

"_I am about to leave._" He realized "_An official trainer, and one of those chosen to use the new invention of Professor Oak at that."_ He had subscribed to the selection on a whim, after reading the announcement. He had asked his teacher to write his recommendations and then had waited, without much hope, until a week before, when he had been awoken by a surprisingly cheerful father. "Well Raziel, you should tell your uncle there's one more researcher in the family." He had simply said.

Raziel had been overjoyed, but also surprised. Professor Oak had seriously picked him over at least a hundred other candidates. He knew he had done very well in the practical exam, but his written exams were far from the best in Lavender or Saffron, let alone the best in Kanto.

He looked around the house one last time before leaving. His younger brother was still asleep, the tank with his Dratini next to him. He wondered if he should have woke him up to say goodbye, but decided against it. It wasn't the last time he was going to visit Lavender after all. His brother had been weird the last year or so anyway, growing colder with Raziel. Waking him up was NOT a good idea to make the situation between the two any better. He said goodbye to his mom, grabbed his backpack and left the house, entering the car waiting for him outside. In four hours he would be in Pallet, and in 5 he would be a trainer with a starter and a Pokémon.

_x_

"Hellooooo, Giuls!" The boy with brown hair exclaimed, cheerfully saluting his closest friend.

"Good morning Draconix. I see you are excited." The girl replied, her short blonde hair stopping before her shoulder.

"Why wouldn't I be? We are becoming trainers Giuls! We are getting a Pokédex! AND. WE. WILL. TAKE. THE. LEAGUE." Draconix said, his tone growing louder.

"You losers will have to walk over my dead body before that." Said a familiar voice. They both audibly sighed and turned to find Blue Oak, the biggest douchebag on the western side of Kanto.

"Hello Blue." Draconix said, markedly less cheerfully than he had done with Giuls. Giuls just nodded towards him.

"Hello losers. How are you silver medals doing?" He asked. Giuls and Draconix both scoffed. They had both made the same point results in the final exams, just ten under Blue, and the guy was more than happy to remind them.

The three walked to Oak's Lab together. Not that they wanted to walk with Blue, or Blue wanted to walk with them, but there was only one way there that wouldn't make it clear they wanted to avoid that bag of arrogance Blue Oak was. Despite everything, Giuls and Draconix still remembered they used to be far closer to him when they were younger.

The Lab was surrounded by a small group of onlookers. Some journalists from smaller newspapers were going to take pictures of the ceremony that would celebrate this "unprecedented experiment", and the rest were there just to see who the Professor had picked. When they walked in and entered the door, most people cheered: in a town like Pallet, the top grades of the Trainer Academy were quite well known.

"Welcome, welcome!" Oak said cheerfully "Blue, Draconix… Juliet…"

"Giuls."

"Yes indeed, just as I said." Oak replied "We just need to wait about ten more minutes. Take a seat, I have some tea while we wait."

The three looked around the room. Most of the chairs had been put to the side, behind the biggest bookcases, and were covered with piles of paper. The professor was probably trying to make the Lab look better for the press.

Beside them, in the room was only an elderly Nidoking, sleeping vigorously in a corner, drooling what looked like poison. Giuls remembered in his youth the Pokémon had been Oak's Starter and main fighter, beating Agatha's Gengar during his League challenge as a Nidorino. It was weird to think that the man that now was an humble – well, somewhat humble – researcher had been the Champion of Kanto for ten consecutive years, and had only left on his own rather than stepping down after a defeat.

After about ten minutes, just as the professor had said, the door opened and a fourth young man entered the room. Pale, thin, long black hair – long for a man at least – and mostly dressed in black and skulls. Giuls tried to figure out if he was purposefully going for the style of the lovechild of a goth and a punk, or if he just had a somewhat questionable fashion sense. "_And he seriously needs some sun._" She added.

Draconix had a similar impression, from what she could tell, though he was polite enough to not say anything. Blue was not. "So did you rise from a tomb or did you just come back from a concert?"

Raziel looked at him, puzzled. "_Definitely a questionable fashion sense._" Decided Giuls. No big deal anyway, the fact she liked to dress like a tomboy had been the main source of gossip on her for years, she could sympathize. A bit.

_x_

Raziel looked at the four people in the room. The Professor seemed busy with something, back at his desk, so he focused on the three people of his same age. The girl was, he had to admit, one of the cutest girl he had seen, something surprising in someone sporting such a tomboyish look. Short hair, long baggy trousers and jacket, both made of jeans, and a green t-shirt.

The two boys were dressed normally, and both sported similar longish hair kept purposefully unkempt. They all seemed very focused on his clothes. Raziel smiled. He liked his style a lot, and was sure it had made quite the impression.

So the question of one of the three, the teenager in blue, surprised him. He just looked at him puzzled for a second, then snickered "The first?" He said. He did like cemeteries, there were a lot of interesting Pokémon to find there.

Draconix laughed "I like this guy." He said, getting closer "Draconix.".

"Raziel." Replied the black clad teenager after a second, shaking his hand.

"NORA!" Exclaimed the girl, jumping between them. "No but seriously, I am Giuls. Welcome to Pallet."

"Very moving." The last teen said, "The birth of a beautiful friendship and all the jazz. But can we get to the whole Dex thing now?"

The professor raised his head from the desk in that very moment, turning to the new arrival.

"Ah, Raziel, you are here too." He said "I figured I'd add a finishing touch, sorry. But here they are, ready for you all."

The teenagers looked amazed at the four Dex on the table. Along with them were four Poké Ball, one per person.

"So, I asked your parents what kind of Pokémon you'd like, and they were kind enough to give me some guidelines." He looked at Raziel "Very specific ones, sometimes." Raziel blushed in return. He knew what he meant.

Oak moved outside a moment, and came back followed by the crowd. The few journalist took some pictures of the four of them and Professor Oak together, then the main event started.

"Welcome, everyone, to a new step for the future of Pokémon research. For decades, I have tracked down informations on every Pokémon from the region of Kanto, as my fellow Professors have done and are doing around the world. And today, I am proud to announce the result of these research, a door to the future! Here is the Pokédex!" He said, raising the small object. It looked like a digital guide, with a touch screen to easily move through the various functions. "This beautiful item is both an encyclopedia and, thanks to it's connection to the trainer's Poké Balls, a functional computer. It will allow trainers to monitor their Pokémon condition, thus further analyzing the growth of any they might choose to bring with them. As many know, it is my belief that a shared bond between Pokémon and Trainer is what makes both stronger. Now I seek to prove this." He handed each of them a Dex. Black to Raziel, blue to Blue, red to Draconix, green to Giuls. "Moreover, the Dex will also help those trainers in their journey. They will be given informations on any Pokémon they might encounter. Informations that, should it prove false or even slightly incorrect, they will be able to report directly to me for review. Imagine how much faster research will progress once more people are tasked with this Pokédex!"

The crowd seemed mostly unfazed by the long explanation, Raziel noticed. Some people were listening, scientists if he had to bet, and the journalists were taking notes, but everyone else showed at best mild curiosity. He found himself wondering why they were even there. Maybe they just hoped to end up in a photo on the news. Or maybe it was out of respect for the old professor. He was still somewhat of a celebrity after all.

Oak smiled, and then pointed the four youths to the table. "Your Starter awaits." He said.

The four new trainers walked to the table and touched the respective Poké Balls. There was a small beeping sound, and the Pokédex showed them what Pokémon was inside. Oak was clearly VERY excited.

Raziel smiled and opened his to reveal a Gastly. The Pokémon turned towards him and smiled… then proceeded to lick his hand. There was an unpleasant tingly feeling and Raziel's hand went limp, paralyzed. Gastly had a laugh, and Oak rushed in with an Antiparalysis. Raziel was pretty happy though. He wanted to become a Ghost specialist, like Agatha of the Elite Four or Angelo from Johto. Now he was taking his first step.

The other three showed their Pokémon almost together. Giuls was trying to keep hold on a Bulbasaur that clearly had no interest in anything but leaving her grasp, Draconix was watching a Charmander, but the two seemed to be getting along, and Blue was just looking clinically at his Squirtle.

"_I guess there is always something to find out about a new Pokémon._" He thought, looking back at Gastly, who seemed curious more than dangerous. He called him back into his Poké Ball and turned to the Professor.

"Thank you, sir." He said, bowing his head "I'll make sure to treat him well and will do my best to help in your research."

Oak smiled "Well… Richard…"

"Raziel."

Oak ignored him "As I said, the core of this research is the bond between Trainer and Pokémon. In understand you plan to try and take on the League with just that Gastly, correct?"

"Unless I stumble upon another Ghost here in Kanto… Yes."

Oak smiled "Well then, I am counting on some great discoveries on how the bond between you two will influence your growth."

Raziel was… surprised. Usually, people called his dream of winning the League using only Ghosts ridiculous, especially when they realized he meant to try with only a single one. But Raziel was convinced it was possible. There was a precedent of a League winner that only used two Pokémon, so maybe there was a chance.

_x_

Blue stared at the black clad teenager as he thanked the Professor. Winning the League with one Pokémon? Nonsense! If that was possible, it would mean the Elite Four and the Champion were worse than useless. Training was a complex exercise of strategic thinking, not just a stupid attempt at rushing in and hoping to win with a Pokémon.

"Ohi, Raziel!" He called "Would you like a challenge? One v One, for sportsmanship." He said.

"Since when do you care about sportsmanship?" Giuls asked, her Bulbasaur back in the Poké Ball.

"Yeah, why are you that interested in challenging Raziel?"

"Oh come on, I just want to try out our new Pokémon in a friendly spar." Blue said. "And prove him immediately there are bigger fishes in this sea."

Raziel meanwhile nodded and moved away "Can we use the room, professor?"

The man nodded "Sure, you are likely not making it worse than it usually is."

Raziel nodded and sent out Gastly. Blue did the same with Squirtle. The two Pokémon stared at each other for a while.

Squirtle attacked first with Bubble, as instructed. A stream of bubbles flew from his mouth towards Gastly, who was hit.

Raziel simply said "Lick him." And Gastly obliged, moving closer and licking Squirtle's face. Squirtle immediately stiffened, his face paralyzed. The Pokémon jumped back and used Bubble again, but Gastly simply hovered away, out of the line of fire, and laughed.

"_He is laughing at me?!"_ Blue asked, furious "Come on Squirtle, get your shit together and Bubble him into oblivion!"

"How can you Bubble into oblivion a creature that came back from it?" Giuls asked.

"Shut up!" Blue replied. Meanwhile, Squirtle was trying to muster one more Bubble, but his paralyzed face was making it pretty hard. To make things worse, Gastly came back to lick him once more, this time forcing his hand in place.

"_This is getting annoying…_" Blue thought. Now it almost looked like he was about to lose. Him, the strongest trainer in Pallet Town, losing against a ball of gas?

"Come on Squirtle, do something!" He shouted. And something Squirtle did, jumping forward… with a Tackle. His body simply fazed through Gastly's own body, and then the Ghost licked again. Squirtle's right paw went limp.

Blue looked around. Now he noticed a lot of people were snickering at the scene. He was really not doing himself any favor by getting angry. That last order had been the stupidest he could have given to an untrained Pokémon. Of course it's first reaction was going to be to Tackle an enemy. So he ordered the Pokémon to use Bubble. Squirtle didn't move.

Because he had been defeated by that last Lick.

Blue was not having a good day after all.

_x_

Raziel smiled, victorious. Excellent start for his training carrier. He patted himself on the back for the fight, though of course most of the merit went to Gastly. A low level fight like that was usually solved by which Pokémon had the strongest resistance. Apparently, a ball of gas was stronger than a turtle.

Blue simply recalled Squirtle and walked off, angry. Raziel wondered why, as the teen disappeared out of the Lab. It has been his idea to challenge him.

"Let him go." Giuls said, moving closer "He hasn't lost in a few years, I guess it will take him some time to process."

"Yeah, usually he wins most spars. I guess losing one threw off his cool act for once." Added Draconix.

The three talked a while more, as the public slowly left the room, realizing the interesting stuff had already been said and done. Once the room was empty, the professor turned.

"Well, I suppose you are all eager to start." He said "Viridian City is right north of here, but I am not sure the Gym is open. The Gym Leader seems to be slacking off in recent years. I think you are better off moving to Pewter." He then pointed to the dex "There is a map function in it, and I am sure you all can use smartphones far better than me, so I doubt you need a map."

The three nodded "Well, good luck then." He said.

"Thank you, professor." Said Giuls "For both Bulbasaur and the Pokédex."

"Same here." Added Draconix "Charmander is the best, I can already tell!"

The Professor smiled. No matter how many times he saw this scene, the beauty of the beginning of a Trainer's journey was always the greatest sight. He just hoped all of them could deliver on such promising futures.

He watched the teens walk out of his Lab and divide, one marching north, the other going back to their houses to prepare for their own trip. Soon, all three… no, four, his nephew too, were going to experience what being a trainer truly meant. Oak had to admit, he was kind of envious.


	3. Chapter 2: Road to Viridian City

Bulbasaur was not having a good day.

First, she had to wake up at 7 AM. 7 AM! That was barely enough to get her usual sleep. All because Oak wanted to make sure she was in perfect conditions before her big day. "_I am always in perfect condition._" She thought, scoffing at the idea of needing such checkups.

Then, she had to wait. And wait. And wait. All while Oak checked on that simpleton of Charmander, that bore of Squirtle and that creepy new Ghost guy. The idea any of those were on her level was quite offensive. Sure, Charmander could beat her with Ember, but that was type advantage, not any real ability of his. Squirtle and Gastly couldn't even get closer in the few sparring matches they had in the week they spent together before being handed out.

And now, her new trainer. Or, the attempt of a copy of a fake of a trainer. He looked at her. The tomboyish girl had no style and no charm. "_I thought my trainer would be someone elegant, someone that deserved a great Starter such as myself. Not… that._"

No, Bulbasaur was certainly not having a good first day. She run forward, attacking the Rattata that had dared to challenge her. The girl was saying something, but she ignored her. "_I know how to fight, I have always been the best. No need for a girl barely out of school to teach me how to win._" She thought, hitting with a Tackle, followed by a Vine Whip. The Rattata fell, defeated. Bulbasaur smiled, and Giuls moved closer. Bulbasaur turned expecting to see rightful praise for her glorious victory, but the tomboy just frowned. She made sure the Rattata was ok! The Rattata! Ignoring the victorious Bulbasaur for the defeated overgrown mouse? "_I can't stand this!_" Bulbasaur thought, frustrated.

She definitely wasn't having a good day.

_x_

"_Best day ever!_" Charmander thought, smiling from non-visible ear to non-visible ear. He had met his trainer, and he was awesome. He had challenged Rattata and Pidgey, and his trainer had made the right call in a couple of pinch situations where otherwise he would have gotten hit, or timed his move wrong and missed.

Awesome, really. He had probably lucked out. He was sure Squirtle didn't take well his defeat in his first battle, and Bulbasaur… She was probably not going well, if her character in the week they spent together was any indication.

"_I wonder how Gastly is doing._" He wondered, as he jumped in to face the Pidgey that had landed in front of them shouting a challenge. The Ghost Pokémon was fun, at least for Charmander. A bit too heavy with the joke at times, but still the funniest of the lot.

"_Hope he is doing well._"

_x_

Gastly studied his trainer. First thing first, he was not scared of him. That was somewhat new. Usually people would reflexively take a step back in seeing a ghost, or ignored him, but Raziel had outright tried to pet him. And he had looked sad when his hand had just phased through his gaseous body. Gastly had made his best effort to look happy about it, even though he didn't really feel anything from it. Then, the next time Raziel had tried, he had turned his tongue inwards, and laughed at the hand going limp. To his surprise, Raziel had laughed too, before grabbing his Antiparalysis, courtesy of Oak. "_Yeah, I can train with this guy._"

The issue was mostly how to train. For some reason even human professors were puzzled about, his paralyzing tongue didn't work on so called "Normal types", meaning he had no way to attack them. Of course, the same was true for them, but the problem remained, as that part of the country was filled with nothing but Normal-typed Pokémon. Rattata, Pidgey, maybe the odd Spearow. It was a chance encounter with a Caterpie that gave his trainer an idea.

Raziel decided the best choice was to blaze through Route 1 and head to Route 2 and the Viridian Forest, where he could get some training by fighting the Bugs that infested the area.

And so they had made their way to Viridian City. The city was far bigger then either Lavender Town or Pallet Town, the only two human settlements he had ever been to before. He felt somewhat intimidated by that many people. After all, it was harder to scare a large group then a single person. Raziel seemed to notice his discomfort and recalled him in his Poké Ball. "_Definitely a nice trainer._" He thought in the Ball.

_x_

Raziel made his way through Viridian City, following the road map on the Dex. There wasn't much in the city, truth be told. The usual Pokémon Center, but even Lavender had one of those, and a Pokémon Market. He knew that the main call to fame of the city were the Gym and the fact it was the closest to the Indigo Plateau, the seat of the Elite Four and the Champion. The monthly League tournament was one of the biggest sources of entertainment in the region, so of course the city close to it was almost always filled with tourists, so much so that only licensed trainers were allowed in the Pokémon Center rooms, unlike most of the country, where anyone with a Pokémon could sleep in one. This had in turn made hotels flourish.

He walked straight to the Gym. Sure, Oak had said the Gym was closed, but Oak had also called him Richard. It was worth checking it out.

The building itself was a great arena, from what he could see from the outside. There weren't many pointers on the possible specialization of the Gym Leader, and Raziel shrugged. He knew close to nothing of the Gym Leaders of western Kanto, being born and raised in Lavender. At the Academy, History of the Regional Leagues of Kanto and Johto was a subject he had not taken, so now he would have to try and figure it out on his own. Surprisingly, a quick search on the phone gave no result: the Gym Leader of Viridian was said to have been a skilled trainer, but there were no matches uploaded online, and no discussion on him on any site.

Raziel moved to the door and knocked. No one responded. He gave a look at the sign next to the entrance. "Viridian City Gym currently closed." No indication of a re-opening, no indication of any kind on the Gym Leader's identity.

"_Why does the League even allow stuff like this?_" He thought.

"Hello kid." Said a voice from behind him. Raziel jumped back in surprise, scared. He turned around to find a puzzled elderly man, maybe in his late sixties or early seventies. "Sorry for the scare youngster. New trainer?"

Raziel nodded "Yeah, I was just looking to see if there was a chance to get my first Badge."

"Ah well, that's something a lot of people ask for. Unfortunately, the Gym Leader has been gone for almost a year now.

Raziel now looked puzzled "Shouldn't they be searching him, or working to replace him?"

The man shook his head "Gym Leaders are allowed to take up to an year away from the Gym, although they have to explain themselves or get removed once they come back. It's useful for people that have important jobs outside of being a Gym Leader. So for another three months, give or take a few days, the Gym is going to stay like this, unless he comes back."

"_So it's a male Gym Leader, that's some info at least._" Raziel thought, then replied "Still seems an awful lot… Well, guess I'll go to Pewter then, and figure out the rest from there. Thanks gramps."

"No problem kid, no problem at all." The elderly man said, as the two took different paths away from the Gym.

_x_

"Yeah, the kid left." The man on the phone said, checking the scene with binoculars.

"Good. The old geezer has always been awfully kind, at least it works in our favor." The voice on the phone replied.

The spy nodded, though his boss couldn't really see him do that from the phone.

"Anyway, back to guard duty Dojin." He said. The burly man nodded, as his call closed, and went back to scratching the back of his Raticate "Well, it's another day as usual." He thought. Honestly his job was far from the most interesting, but making sure no one entered the Gym was a necessity, since that's where… that thing was stored. With a sigh, he went back to guard duty.

_x_

Blue scoffed walking through the Viridian Forest, as the sun went down, pondering his options.

"_Either I go back to Viridian, or I try to make it to Pewter before dark._" He thought. Viridian was the closest one, but going back kind of felt the wrong way. He wanted to prove gramps and everyone else he was the best. Stopping and going back sounded like a terrible idea. "_If I take the next League challenge, in a month, I'll certainly beat the losers and Ghost to it. But to do that I have to go a lot faster._" He knew usually it took about two months to beat all the Gyms to the smoothest League Runners, but he would do his best to make it in a single one.

"_Then everyone will see who is the best._" He thought again, giving a look at his team, currently fighting through a group of ten or so Bugs that had challenged him all at once. A lot Caterpie and a few Metapod, nothing dangerous, but there was a pretty disgusting amount of String Shot on both his Pokémon and the field.

Pidgey of course was mowing through them, thanks to his newly learned Gust. Catching his first Pokémon on Route 1 was proving to have been the right call. As for Squirtle, he seemed to be making up to his loss against Gastly, which Blue was thankful for. He was still a bit sore for starting the journey that was supposed to make him shine with a defeat, but thinking back, it was really his fault. He had heat up in the moment and given a wrong order. "_I would have won. Keeping my cool should be a top priority damn it._" He thought, before ordering Pidgey to dodge a Tackle and Squirtle to use Bubble on the Metapod in front of him, that had just completed another Harden. Luckily, Bubble would soak the hardened cocoon, and the Pokémon would be damaged. As expected, Metapod rolled over in defeat.

Finally, the last Bug fell over, and Blue recalled Squirtle. Pidgey perched itself on his right shoulder, scouting around with his sharp sight for any danger, and Blue moved forward. Most trainers had already left, but he didn't care. Whatever the coast, he would trail to Pewter before dawn.

"_I am the best, and I am going to prove that._"

_x_

In the Pokémon Center of Viridian City, Giuls looked outside at the moon. It used to calm her down to stare at it. When she was a kid, she used to think she would fly to it one day, before… that. She shook her head and glanced to Bulbasaur, her current biggest concern, currently sleeping at a safe distance next to her. Because she would not listen to her at all. In fact, she seemed to sometime do the exact opposite of what she said just out of spite, even if it didn't make sense. Tackles would be changed for Vine Whip, even against a Flying-type like Pidgey. Sometimes she would even purposefully take a hit if it meant disrespecting Giuls' orders. "_Just my luck, a headstrong Starter._" She knew there was an easy solution. Just release her, pick up another Pokémon, and start over. That was the coward solution, though, and she refused to take it into consideration. Releasing a Pokémon was meant to be an extreme measure, not something to do because her Starter was fundamentally throwing a tantrum.

"Well, tomorrow is another day." She though, before noticing the two trainers that walked in. Draconix and Raziel were discussing something, quite excitedly. They noticed her and moved closer, sitting at her same table.

"Hello Giuls, how is it going?" Draconix asked.

Giuls glanced once more in Bulbasaur's direction "It's… alright." She finally said. Pretty big lie, but she wasn't about to admit how bad it was going to those two. At least, not until she thought the situation was unsalvageable.

"Good to hear!" Draconix replied, always cheerful.

Giuls decided to change the subject. So, what was heating up your conversation?" She asked towards Raziel.

"He was saying Dragons and Fire types are the coolest, and I was insisting Ghosts are far better than both."

"There is like, one Ghost in all of Kanto." Draconix said, taking out a bottle of water from his bag.

"And one Dragon." Raziel replied. She noticed Gastly, who was following him before when they entered the Pokémon Center, was gone. Weird, maybe he had stayed outside to avoid the lights of the hall.

"Yes but the Dragon is cool." Draconix replied.

"It's literally a fat lizard!"

"Tough words from the man that trains a ball of gas." With that, Draconix started drinking… then spit the water, hitting Giuls square in the face.

She just stared at him, boiling inside. If that did anything outside, the water would have likely evaporated on contact.

"I am sorry it just tastes… w… we…" And then his tongue fell limp. The Ghost type emerged in that very moment from under the table, phasing through it and laughing his non-existent ass off.

Giuls saw Raziel look at it, then at Draconix trying to speak with a paralyzed tongue, and then started laughing. After a second, Giuls could not resist.

"Whatch sho funny?" Draconix asked.

Raziel caught his breath, still grinning "He… Licked through the table your water. I guess his tongue can phase through the plastic and wood. You just tasted a mix of water and a bland paralyzer. Bet your dragons couldn't do that."

Giuls was just laughing at the scene. Draconix trying to get his tongue to go back in his mouth looking like a human Lickytung, Gastly laughing and laughing, ignoring the glares of the brown-haired teenager. Raziel, of course, intervened, spraying Draconix with an Antiparalysis. The teenager immediately moved his tongue back into his mouth.

"Ok, I get it, Ghosts are cool too." He said, coughing to get the taste of Antiparalysis out of his mouth and keeping his glare on Gastly as he took out another bottle of water. "For the record, the water tastes the same, it just felt weird. Sorry for spitting on you Giuls."

Giuls looked at her clothes, but the water was already evaporating. It wasn't going to ruin them. "No problem, that was… amusing, Dracotung." She said.

"Oh please, that's the best joke you could come up with?" Draconix said, grinning "Guess you really Struggled to come up with it."

Giuls groaned. Well, at least she had her mind free of her problems for a while.


	4. Chapter 3: There's a Forest on the road

Bulbasaur woke up to find her trainer to be already moving. She was walking out of the city, heading north into the woods of the Viridian Forest. "_Trying to get the advantage over her 'friends'? I can respect that._" She thought. For once, the girl wasn't doing anything stupid.

The Viridian Forest was a true labyrinth. Leaving behind it's entrance, a building made to be completely visible even from a certain distance, would still disappear once they made it too far into the Forest. From there, it was a matter of staying on the roads and following the signs that pointed toward the exit.

Unfortunately, half of those were usually turned around by Gastly with their uneducated sense of humor, so following them might get you back at the exit, or force you to wonder in the woods until… Bulbasaur gulped, then shook her head. "_That might happen to her, but it would never happen to someone such as myself._" She thought, observing the tomboy. Today she was wearing equally shabby clothes for her standard, but she bet a lot of humans would have liked it. "_I really don't get it, where is the style?_" Her observations the day before had given her more insight on humans than she had before, when she only knew the Breeders that had raised her and the old Professor. She had noticed some of them looking at her trainer, and she really didn't get why.

Her thoughts on her shabby style were interrupted by a Weedle crossing the girl path and planting itself right in the middle of the road, clearly ready to start a fight. Bulbasaur soon found herself on the field. "_Well, another day to show who is the strongest._" She thought.

"Ok Charmander, let's do this!" Draconix shouted, as he continued walking on the Route. He had been told the Route to leave the city would take him through some woods and then to Pewter, but he wasn't seeing that. Instead, the paved road was surrounded by mostly steep cliffs and low bushes from which Pokémon such as Mankey and Spearow would fly out off. Moreover, where he had been told he would meet many Bug-types, he saw none, or at least none in high numbers. And now he was looking at the gate of some structure that…

"_Oh Arceus I picked the wrong Route._" He thought, checking the map on his Pokédex. Sure enough, he was marked as walking on Route 22, instead of Route 2. He looked at the League Gates. There were two entrances. One would take challengers to the Victory Road, a cave built both to allow Trainers to prepare for the League their team and to test their wits by making their way through the cavern maze. Or at least that was the second objective, but the cave map had been leaked a long time ago, so now it was mostly a training ground. The other entrance was a simple road up the mountain, large enough for buses to take spectators up and down the Plateau. Challengers were required to not take that route unless they had already passed the Victory Road. It was also impolite to skip the Victory Road by flight or digging, and people that tried such stunts were harshly reprimanded.

He walked closer to the challenger entrances. A couple guards were stationed nearby, wearing the red and indigo uniforms of the Kanto League. Red like the top of the Poké Ball, indigo like the Indigo Plateau.

"A challenger?" The guard on the left asked as he moved closer.

"Oh, no, not yet, I just started." Draconix replied, pointing to his belt with a single Poké Ball. "I was just curious, I went down the wrong route and figured I'd give a look at the League."

"The bus is in an hour if you want to go see the Plateau." The guard replied "But we can't allow anyone without the needed badges to enter the Victory Road."

Draconix nodded "I know, I know, I just was wondering if I could take a look at the entrance of the Victory Road itself."

The guards looked at each other "Sorry boy, can't do." The one on the left, a woman with short hair, replied "Come back when you have won the badges and we'll let you through."

Draconix sighed "Fine, fine, thank you." He said, turning around and starting his trail back through Route 3. Luckily it wasn't the longest Route. He stopped a second to check the map: in an hour he was going to be back in Viridian and…

And then something crashed at terminal velocity where he would have been had he not stopped. The small bird-like Pokémon made a small chirp, a cry of help, and Draconix gasped seeing the oddly bent wing of the poor Spearow.

He immediately rummaged his backpack for first aid. Potions could fix a lot of things, but broken bones were not one of those. The only thing he could do was checking for bleeding, immobilizing the wing with a stick and bandaging it. In that moment he was glad he had taken First Aid for Humans and Pokémon as an extra class. "_And Blue said it was worth it only for future nurses…_" He thought, taking the bird in his arms and starting to run. Now the bird seemed to be doing a bit better, although he was likely still concussed and confused. "_Hopefully it doesn't get angry when he realizes what happened to his ambush._" Draconix thought. He had more or less figured out what had happened. The young bird had thrown itself from the cliff in hope to get the jump on the Trainer, only for Draconix to stop to check the map and the attack to miss the mark completely, which had ended up costing him a pretty bad impact, since it was likely not good enough to change his course in time.

"That was reckless." Draconix told the small bird "You should know better." The bird chirped faintly in response, and Draconix shrugged "_Either he agreed, or he told me to shut up._" He thought, keeping up the run. His pace was decent, and in about 30 minutes they had made it back to Viridian. The bird was now standing on his arm, so it probably wasn't as bad as he had first feared. Still, it didn't leave Draconix arm.

Spearow looked at the trainer as they run through the city. His great ambush plan had failed miserably, and now he was even being helped by the Trainer he wanted to attack. He looked at the bandaged wing and sighed. Fearow was likely going to be pissed for such a disastrous result if he ever went back to the flock. Worse still, his rank in the pecking order would likely suffer from it! "_I might even go lower than the three digits for failing an ambush and then getting helped by a human! Oh Arceus, getting pecked by 999?! I couldn't stand the shame!"_ Still, he could not bring himself to just jump off the human's arms and run off. Better shamed and healthy than… a bit less shamed and wounded. Fearow already knew what had happened probably, there were at least two others of his flock around the area.

They slowly made their way to the place humans called a Pokémon Center. He had been there a couple times, landing on the roof, but this was the first time seeing it from the inside. Various humans and Pokémon were hanging out in the lounge, some watching stuff on the electric windows where smaller humans did stuff, some playing around, some reading. He stared wide eyed at a guy with a Pidgey and a Spearow on his shoulders. Why weren't the two fighting for the territory, he wondered. That's what Fearow did all the time with that damn Pidgeot from the northern cliff…

Meanwhile the human had made his way to the desk, and was explaining everything at the nurse. "_Botched the landing? I'll have you know sir I landed exactly where I planned to, it was YOUR fault for not sticking to your walking pattern!_" He chirped in protest. Then the nurse grabbed him gently and moved him in the back room. She pocked him with a Poké Ball with something written on it and then put him inside a machine. He felt… hot. Not in an unpleasant way, it gave him back that sensation from when he was in the egg, a gentle embrace and energy surging through him. He felt his bone move, but it almost felt… unreal, like he was watching it rather than experiencing it.

Then there was a ping, and the sensation faded. The Nurse put him back on the counter, and he saw the young man sigh in relief. He stared at his wing, amazed. Usually fixing that would have taken a month on a diet of Oran Berries, and asking the help of some mammal Pokémon to bandage the wound. Instead, in such a short time he was in perfect health. In fact, he could feel a couple of his other health issues, like a wound he had gotten last week in a fight with a stupid Pidgey, had completely disappeared as well.

He now pondered his choices. He could fly off, go back to his flock, and get sent to the bottom of the pecking order. Or maybe…

Nurse Stacy handed the yellow and red Ball to Draconix and smiled. "This is a Temporary Poké Ball, a special kind of Ball we use to put a wild Pokémon in the healing machine. It will deactivate off in half an hour, after that you can release him in the wild if you wish. Please throw it in that trash can once it does." She said, pointing to a "Broken PB" Trash can, red and white, on the left side of the hall.

Draconix nodded and moved to the side, sitting at a table. He had expected the bird to fly off immediately, but instead it followed him around. The young man frowned. "_Maybe he thinks I caught him._" He thought, and so turned to the bird. "No, I didn't catch you, this is just temporary. In half an hour you will be wild again, but you can already leave if you want."

The Spearow did not move. Instead, it just perched itself on the trainer's shoulder. Draconix gasped in surprise, although he knew better then try to get him off.

Then he smiled and took out a Poké Ball. "So, you want to come with me?"

Spearow nodded.

"You sure? I am going to fight in the League, might be quite the journey."

Spearow nodded again. In fact he looked… elated? Draconix wasn't that good at reading it's body language, but that's what he looked like.

"Very well then. Half an hour, and when this one breaks, you are coming with us." He said. And after that, he could finally go back to his planned route, just two hours late, more or less. "Is not that bad." He thought.

The sky was shining, but through the tree branches and the leafage it almost looked like the depth of night. Not that neither Raziel nor Gastly minded. The latter was happily moving in the shadow, phasing through the trees rather than moving around. Raziel moved closer. None of the tree seemed to feel any ill effect from the phasing, meaning the poison in the gas was not affecting it. "_Well that's a relief, handling the cost of all those trees was going to be a pain otherwise."_ He thought, smiling as Gastly was stopped in his track by another Bug. He shivered at the sight of Caterpie. He had never liked worms and caterpillars, let alone those the size of his head.

The Caterpie jumped with an ineffective Tackle, and Gastly answered with a simple Lick. Raziel nodded. He didn't have to do much in terms of training right now, Caterpie had no useful moves against a Ghost, and Lick was still the only damaging move Gastly could use, so he was letting him go a little wild. Against a Weedle and his line he had taken more of a serious stance, giving orders to dodge – which amazingly Gastly could do by timing his phasing correctly – or attack. Still, it was a bit of low tier fighting. "_I shouldn't be surprised. It takes time to get a strong team. Or companion in my case."_

He was still glancing around hoping against all odds that a Ghost from Johto or further afar would just pop out of a tree. Misdreavus was cute and all, but if he had to choose, he would have picked a Duskull any day. Or maybe one of those candle Pokémon from Unova… Litwick, that was the name. He had… little hopes of any of those popping around, but if they did it would have been a huge boon for his journey.

After all, as much as he didn't like to admit it, the only precedent of a Champion with two Pokémon was somewhat of a special case, on account of the two Pokémon being a Metagross and Zapdos. And it had been over a century since, so hard to compare the amount of Pokémon used at the time to those used nowadays. "_And Agatha is still a Kanto Elite Four, even after the break up of Kanto and Johto…"_ He thought. It had only been two years since the two Leagues had separated, with half the Elite 4 moving to Johto, and the other spots filled by Gym Leaders or strong candidates. Of course, thanks to his luck Agatha had been one of the two that remained in the Indigo Plateau.

He looked at Gastly, cheerfully jumping from shadow to shadow. "_Well, we will do what we can. Before the League, I should focus on Pewter."_

He knew Brock of Pewter was a Rock-type specialist, and that in a low level challenge he was going to use two Pokémon. He did know most Rock-types from Kanto, so he had a decent idea, but he had never paid much attention to which he was going to use.

"_I can take a two v one or three v one."_ He thought, to reassure himself "_Is what I did at the exam with the Gengar._"

He sighed, and went back to training. Whatever was going to happen in Pewter, would be his first step for the League. He was not going to botch it because he was nervous.

Blue smiled, emerging from the Gym with the Boulder Badge in his hand. He saw his name appear on the list of monthly winners of the Gym Challenge. He patted Squirtle on the head. Of course the little one had done most of the job, with Pidgey knocked out almost instantly by Geodude. Still, the Sand Attack had made sure Geodude never got even short of hitting Squirtle, and the rest of the fight with the main Pokémon had been similarly easy. At one point the Rock Throw had scared him a bit, but Squirtle had proven that the training was having an effect: he used Withdraw to handle the blunt of the blow and then answered with a well aimed Water Gun.

"_We will review the battle further… tomorrow."_ He said, yawning. "_For now, I should get some sleep. Tomorrow I need to make it to Mount Moon by night if I want to be in Cerulean in three days."_ He knew that making it to Pewter in a day was feasible, even if really tiring. But he was still proud of himself. Both the losers and Ghost were probably still stuck in the Viridian Forest, and would likely challenge the Pewter Gym only the next day, or even the day after. "_And by then I'll likely be arriving in Cerulean cementing my head start."_

With a second yawn, he started walking to the Pokémon Center. He really needed some sleep now though.

Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.


	5. Chapter 4: Some Ghost stories attached

Giuls looked at Pewter City. Under the night sky, the city was really beautiful. It looked somewhat more rural than Viridian, but the great Museum was a sight to behold, even at night. Of course it was closed, but it was still impressive.

"What do you think Bulbasaur?" She asked. Bulbasaur scoffed, followed by a long yawn. Clearly, the only thing she was interested in was a long, long beauty sleep, followed by another day of fighting. Ironically, Giuls was starting to get angry at the fact the Bulbasaur was always winning. And more importantly, that she was winning without her.

In the Viridian Forest, she had challenged some Bug experts. And even there, Bulbasaur had shined. She would have said she had absolutely lucked out with her starter: strong, fast, even elegant in her fighting style… but her personality was the WORST. Giuls was slowly going from feeling inadequate as a Trainer to hating Bulbasaur uncontrollably. No matter what she said, Bulbasaur would do only what she wanted, even if it was the opposite of her Trainers order. She probably thought she was doing the best, but in Giuls eyes her natural talent was simply helping her mitigate sloppy and repetitive technique. Multiple times she had seen her use Vine Whip to block an attack, even when dodging was a better choice.

"_If she lost once I might get room to improve our relations, but if she keeps winning… I don't know what to do._" She wondered how her Gym challenge would go "_And I am also not sure what losing would do to her self-esteem. I take an overzealous starter over a depressed one."_ Still, she needed to form a better relationship between them. Maybe if she could figure out what the Pokémon wanted…

Gastly observed the Trainer House Raziel was into. Those buildings were common throughout the region, resting places for licensed trainers that offered food, water and a room to sleep in. This one was right at the exit of Viridian Forest. It was hosted by an elderly man that was proudly selling Everstones, although no one seemed particularly thrilled about the prospect of buying one.

His trainer had decided it was a better choice to stop there and proceed the next day to Pewter, rather than walking in the night through a probably largely deserted road. "_I don't really see the issue, but I am also a natural born Gastly, of course I don't get what scares humans so much about the dark."_ If it was the Dark type, at least…

He wondered off outside the window. His trainer had let him out of the Ball at night on the condition he would not cause problems. "_And I won't… where he can find me."_ He thought, already hyped for his next trick. "_Should I do the howling in the dark? That one scared the shit out of that stack up of Bulbasaur, even if she would never admit it. Oh, maybe I should do the Pure Ghost? I scared so many people back in the tower…"_

Of course, a joke needs a loser to fall for it. And, he noticed happily, he had found exactly the one. Now he just needed some help.

"_So are you really sure I am NOT supposed to peck you to assert my role in the chain of command?"_ Asked Spearow. "_That seems something the leader would not be happy about. I mean, if we don't establish who is higher in command, how do we…"_

"_There isn't really an higher in command."_ Charmander explained. Spearow's eyes went wide "_We are supposed to work together to win, not give orders to each other."_

"_But isn't the trainer job to give orders?"_ Spearow asked, confused.

"_Well, it's more complicated. You are following what the trainer says in battle, yes, but you are also supposed to think with your own head and with what you learned in the training before." _Charmander explained, proud of his knowledge generated by his seniority of one day over the Spearow _"If the trainer tells you to fire an attack, you don't just do that immediately, you wait for the opening. If your trainer tells you to dodge though, you are probably better off just dodging."_

"_I… see… I think. So, what happens if the order the trainer gives is completely wrong?" _Spearow asked.

"_Well, you need to have some trust in your trainer. If he gives an order that seems wrong, like using a Ground move on a Flying type, he might still have a plan, don't you think?" _Charmander said. _"Of course if he screws up you should make him realize that. And if he screws up too much, you can run off. That was something they have always explained us at the daycare. 'A Poké Ball will release a Pokémon after a week they are trapped in there without release, and will consider them released, so even if your trainer wanted to keep you forced inside he would still be just procrastinating the inevitable'. Not that Draconix would do that." _He said, mimicking for a while the voice of an older Pokémon, maybe a Charizard.

Spearow nodded, pondering on his own what this notion meant. Trust was understandable, all the Spearow followed Fearow's rule because of not only strength but also trust. The idea of not being just following orders was… weird in a way. Sure, they weren't giving orders to each other all the time in the flock, but they had to always do exactly as told if someone above them gave an order. "_This will take some time to get used to. A lot better than a demotion in the flock though."_

He wondered what his family was thinking. They probably had noticed what happened and figured out he had been captured at this point. Fearow would probably just move on, and his brothers and sisters maybe miss him a bit, but eventually move on too. He wasn't dead after all, just on a new journey.

"_Maybe one day I'll go back too as a Fearow." _He thought "_I bet they will all be envious of my…"_ In that moment, a weird mist began to form in the forest. Charmander and Draconix stopped walking, and Spearow landed on his right shoulder. It was a surprisingly comfortable position.

"Any idea what's happening guys?" Draconix asked, worried "This mist is a bit too fast to be natural." Charmander shook his head, and after thinking a moment Spearow did the same.

Draconix scanned the area around. Nothing but mist. Spearow noticed it was growing stronger. At this point, Spearow could barely see the closest trees.

Then he heard it. A low howling, like an Houndoom but even scarier. He had only heard the call of an Houndoom once, during a short migration further west, but he could tell that was not it. It felt… wrong.

"_Who dares walk the Viridian Forest in the sacred night?"_ A voice, a faint whisper, asked to his left. He turned to see a pair of yellow eyes disappear in the mist. Charmander and Draconix had done the same.

"_You dare enter those forbidden woods, trespasser? What is it you seek?"_ The whisper asked again, now to their right. They turned. Again, yellow eyes, and then the mist. Draconix was clearly doing his best attempt at looking sure of himself. Charmander was really doing none of that, turning his head left and right, trying to use his tail to see more.

Then there was the sound of some branches snapping. In front of them, behind them, to their said. And a quite laugh rose from all over the forest, like it was in their hears.

"_None of you will ever leave. All of you will be devoured by the Spirits of the Woods!" _The voice declared, and something touched Spearow. He saw a sticky substance on his wing, that looked like… Drool. He looked up to see gigantic white eyes and the shape of a mouth. The other followed his sight.

And that was it. Draconix called back Charmander and started running north, followed by Spearow, flying at the best of his ability, already outpacing the young Trainer.

"_Well thank you boys, that was fun." _Gastly said, smiling. The group of Pikachu, who had been his shining eyes by lighting their cheeks, and his terrifying stomps, smiled in return.

"_Don't mention it man, that was a lot of fun. Most Gastly around here are boring, just turning signs or licking people unexpectedly. How did you do the mist trick?"_

"_I just dispersed most of my gas. Once I do that, the poisonous part is so nebulized it basically turns into fog." _The Pokémon said, smiling proud.

"_What about the giant eyes and the mouth?" _The Caterpie asked. He had been in charge of dragging back up the Pikachu with String Shot before the group's eyes adjusted.

"_Just changed the gas density. That way, the light of the moon was enough to make the eyes and the covered area could look like a mouth, with a touch of Hypnosis to make it look scarier in their mind than it was in reality of course. Then to make it more convincing I just drooled a bit." _His audience looked enamored, with one of the Pikachu even clapping, and he smiled proud. Working on that trick had taken months, but he was positive anyone would be scared by it.

Laughing and thinking back at the face of the brown-haired boy and his Pokémon, he started to return to Raziel's room in the Trainer House. "_Perhaps next time I could use more Hypnosis and less practical effect."_ He thought, pondering his options. The risk was that using Hypnosis too strongly would cause someone to fall asleep (which was its main use in combat, after all). "_Eh, we'll see, I had my fill for tonight."_

He did not notice the red eyes following him.

Draconix sighed entering the Trainer House. "What was that?" He muttered. "Seriously, what was that?" He asked to Spearow, who was perched on his shoulder, huffing for the fastest flight he had ever done. The Flying Pokémon shook his head, as confused as he was.

"_Maybe Raziel would know, he sounds like the kind of person that knows everything about Ghosts and spirits."_ He thought.

He sit down on a chair, and asked the waiter for a cup of tea. He really needed to calm himself. "At least running has taken us here a lot earlier than we expected. Though I'd gladly go back to not getting scared like that."

Thinking logically, it had probably been a Pokémon, but what kind of Pokémon could do something like that? And why. The voices sounded so… real. He assumed some sort of sound illusion was possible, but… had that really been an illusion?

"_What am I thinking, of course it was. Am I supposed to believe in the Spirits of the Viridian Forest?"_ He asked. Ridiculous. It must have been a trick. He let Charmander come out to calm down too.

Half an hour later, his tea finished, he was almost relaxing, when the man behind the counter, an elderly man, moved closer.

"Hello son. I couldn't help but notice you look scared. Something happened?" He asked "You are not the first that comes back all scared from the Forest lately."

"Really?" Draconix asked "Because of… Spirits of the Viridian Forest?"

The man looked surprised for a second, then… nodded "Well, I don't know if they are Spirits, but there is… something out there. The other day someone came back here telling me that there were moving trees. And not like, a Trevenant or a Sudowoodo, a legitimate tree just stalking him. Sure enough, I found a completely eradicated tree on the side of the road. Another had been followed by a swarm of shiny Beedrill, that had all disappeared once he turned to fight them. In their place, he found his own team members, who were running behind him to attack the thief of their Poké Balls" The man shook his head "There is something weird out there. Something that is either making some bad jokes, worse than a Gastly or even a group, or is really malicious."

Draconix felt himself shaking, and noticed Spearow doing his best impression of a brave Pokémon. Charmander was not even trying. The Pokèmon was on the verge of crying. Draconix told the old man his own experience, and he nodded "I see. I'll pass it to the Police, just in case. Though, maybe yours was just a really good Gastly. Nothing you said was out of the norm for one of those, the mist their gas, the eyes and voices some well aimed Hypnosis... Maybe you have just been unlucky."

Draconix nodded, taking a sigh of relief. Even if the old man was lying just to make him feel better, he was grateful for that. He really needed it.

"Yes, the Gastly saved us some time." Said the Team Rocket member on the phone "The kid is running away and we can move the cargo according to schedule, since there is no one left in the woods."

The boss laughed "Is Gengar ok? Knowing him, he is sad he didn't get to do his show."

The Rocket laughed back "Yeah, he is a bit miffed about it. I think he has some criticism about the performance, but I am just happy we can move. Keeping people away has been quite hard."

"Yes, I can imagine." The boss replied "Well, take everything to the Viridian Gym, and make sure no one sees you. I'm counting on you Kai."

"Yessir!" The Rocket shouted, and then gave an order, as the recruits behind him started moving the boxes. Storing the goods in the Viridian Forest, waiting for a night when no one would notice a group entering the Viridian Gym, had been hard, but Dojin had given them the clear: no one was camping around the Gym to get a challenge, nor there was a patrol car keeping an eye on the building. "_Thankfully, I was tired of sitting in here."_

And so the Rocket prepared himself for a busy night.


	6. Chapter 5: A battle in a gym

Giuls was walking to the gym. Since she had woken up, two hours ago, she had been too worried to think about anything else. "_My first Gym battle..."_ She thought, looking at the building. The Pewter City gym was one of the three located in eastern Kanto, along Viridian and Cinnabar.

The Gym Leader was a certain Brock, on the younger side of the Kanto Gym Leader list. An expert fossil hunter, a Rock-Type user… "_Not really much I can do about strategy."_ She glared at Bulbasaur. The Pokémon was still acting like she wasn't even there, merely following her around but disregarding any order. If the situation was normal, she wouldn't have been worried. First badge fights are supposed to be a simple 2v2, with the Gym Leader selecting two Pokémon appropriate for the challenger level. In her case, it was probably going to be some unevolved Rock-type. "_Geodude… Those fossils, maybe he will use one?"_ She thought. _"I mean, he isn't really going to use an Onix against a complete newbie, right?"_ Anyway, nothing a Grass type should fear.

She was pretty sure earlier in the morning she had seen Draconix, with a Spearow on his shoulder, grab some Potions at the store and then run back to Route 2, but that was normal. After all, he had a Fire-type as starter and now apparently a Flying-type right next to it, it seemed… unlikely that they could stand a chance without extra training. She wondered if he even had a plan.

Then she was there. A great sign in bold letters declared "Pewter Gym – Leader: Brock – Challenge the Rock-Solid Pokémon Trainer." Every Gym leader had his own title, something to describe their fighting style or something about their personality. "_I really hope he isn't the kind of guy that does too many rock-based jokes…"_ She thought. The Gym itself was a very anonymous building, with an entrance for the spectators and one for the challengers. Other signs showed there were other entrances. Everything else not different from any other Pokémon Battle Stadium, Except for the fact of the building being weirdly large. In length, it was about the size of six football fields, and the same in width.

Entering from the challenger door, she read the list of winners of the month. Right at the top was the most recent, B. Oak. "_Of course, he is already ahead, why am I even surprised."_ She asked herself. Apparently she had beaten both Draconix and Raziel though. Or they had lost.

The interior of the Gym was very different from the outside. She found herself staring at a field decorated like a barren landscape with tall rocks and boulders all over the place, obstructing her view. To reach the arena of the Gym Leader, a sign near the entrance explained, she was supposed to just walk through the field to it, although there were trainers hidden behind the rocks. If they met, she was supposed to fight and win. More importantly, there were also other challengers in the field, making their way to the arena. If two challengers with the same amount of experience met, they were supposed to fight each other. A loss meant waiting a day to take the Gym again.

Giuls took one deep breath, and stepped on the field. After her first step, it became very mundane. It was more or less like walking on a normal rock field. The first few boulders had no one behind. Maybe she was going to dodge every…

"Hello miss!" Shouted a voice when she passed another rock. "_Well of course, it can't be that easy."_ She turned to see a boy about her age, with red hair and a… tuxedo? Was she seeing that right?

"So, how many badges?" She asked.

The guy frowned "I have currently none. I just graduated two days ago from the Viridian City Academy, and since that one is closed, I made my way here." He then bowed his head "Allen Ayn, at your service."

Giuls looked at Allen. He was a bit weird, but didn't seem particularly dangerous. "_Sorry rich boy, this tomboy needs a good thing to happen today._" She thought.

"Well, I am Giuls Touki, just graduated from the Pallet Town Academy. Think we can do a one v one? I only have one Pokémon with me."

There was a slight change in Allen's look, but it quickly went back to normal. "That's perfect miss, I happen to have only one as well." He said, taking out a Poké Ball. Giuls just gave a nod to Bulbasaur. The Pokémon yawned and walked forward. She looked around to notice a camera pointed to them. Apparently the Gym was making sure the fight would go according to rules.

Allen sent out… a Pokémon Giuls didn't really know well. The Doduo chirped twice, while Giuls took out her Pokédex and started reading. "Twin Bird Pokémon, Normal Flight… Foot speed… 60 mph?" She read, then she turned to Bulbasaur. "Ok Bulbasaur, watch out, that Pokémon his fast and has type advantage. Please, listen to me."

Bulbasaur scoffed. "_Fast? This thing? Looks like an overgrown Spearow."_

"_Pardon me, missy, but I don't really see any resemblance, how are we like a Spearow?"_ The left head asked politely.

"_It was meant to be a joke you asinine idiot!" _The right head angrily replied.

"_Now Dod, you are very much not supposed to talk like that in front of a lady."_

"_I will talk however I want in front of the bit…"_

The other head interrupted _"DOD! We already discussed language! I am very sorry miss, unfortunately my twin here is kind of a…"_

"_An incredible douchebag?"_ She asked, glaring at the right head.

"_AH, ok, I take it back, I like her." _The right head said.

"Uh, is that normal?" Giuls asked.

"Yes, it seems Doduo don't always cooperate. Dod, Uo, please behave, we have a fight to get to."

'_Did he really call a Doduo Dod and Uo?'_ Bulbasaur asked herself. Then the Pokémon took his stance.

"_Oh-oh, ok then, let's…" _Before she could even finish the sentence, the double headed bird was sprinting towards her. In fact, it was on her. There was a shout from the trainer and the right head went back.

"Dodge the Peck and use Tackle!" Shouted the tomboy. Bulbasaur scoffed and jumped on the offensive instead, jumping to use Tackle. Before she could even complete the motion, she felt the Peck hit her side, and was sent rolling away.

"_Lucky shot birdy." _The Bulbasaur said, getting herself back up. And once again, Doduo was already on her, at an eerily speed. Now both heads were darting back.

"Bulbasaur, quick, dodge the Fury and go for Tackle!" The girl shouted from the side.

'_Fair enough, I guess, this guy is faster than he looks.'_ She thought as she jumped to the right side avoiding the hit of the right beak. The left beak came down and she jumped backwards.

"Don't jump back! They are coming from the side, you have to attack then, when they leave an opening!" Giuls shouted.

'_Stupid girl, like my problem isn't in front of me. Give her one chance and she immediately…' _Her thought was interrupted by a third attack from the left. She jumped back again… and found herself against a rock. _"Oh sh…"_

"_Very sorry miss."_ The left head said, hitting with Fury.

"_Not sorry at all babe." _The right head said, as she did the same. The two hits landed simultaneously on the flanks. She felt air fly out of her lung as a follow up Peck hit her… And everything went black.

Giuls sighed. "_Sooner or later it had to happen, I guess._" She had tried to warn the Bulbasaur that she was getting cornered, but of course she had jumped back anyway.

"Well, guess that's it. Thanks for…" She was interrupted by the look on Allen's face, a deep glare.

"What was that?" He asked, calling back the Doduo and moving closer to Giuls.

"W-what do you mean?"

"That… Fight, if we can call it that. I basically watched a Pokémon do whatever they wanted as their trainer shouted orders she had no hope they would listen to. Would you call that a match?"

Giuls went red for the shame, but answered "Well is not my fault! You think I like seeing Bulbasaur lose? She is just… Headstrong."

Allen scoffed "Headstrong, uh? Well, Doduo is headstrong too, as you noticed, but he will do as he is told. No miss, the problem is that you can't control your Pokémon. And you wanted a Gym Challenge?"

Giuls was now trembling a bit. That was exactly what she had kept in the back of her head all this time. "Well, uh…"

"I am not finished." The young man said, pointing at her pocket "You are a Dexholder…"

"A what now?"

"Is what the Viridian Tribune was calling you guys with a Pokédex. What I mean is, Professor Oak chose you over a hundred candidates!" He said, adding a barely audible "Over me."

"You…"

"A girl that can't even control a Bulbasaur, the easiest starter according to most breeders? You are one of the four best of this year? Maybe it is true Professor Oak just gave it to his nephew and his friends for fun like the Tribune said."

Giuls tried to answer, but she couldn't find anything. It was true she was having a serious problem with Bulbasaur. And she had no control at all.

The girl stuttered to find a reply, then… turned and run off. She felt Allen's eyes on her before he disappeared from her view. She left the gym in tears and kept running for most of the way back to the Pokémon Center, before hiding in a corner to cry her pain out.

"_Professor Oak just gave it to his nephew and his friends…"_

"_A girl that can't even control a Bulbasaur…"_

"_A trainer shouting orders she had no hope it would ever listen to…"_

Allen's lines had hit her on the sore spot. She kept crying for a while, then sniffed. With red eyes from the tears, she started walking to the Pokémon Center. "_What do I do now?"_

"So a giant spirit just appeared out of the woods and tried to eat you and your Pokémon?" Raziel asked. Draconix noticed the way he was looking at him. If this was a manga, he was fairly sure the Ghost Trainer's eyes would be shining.

"Yes, it went 'Who dares enter the Viridian Forest on the sacred night?' or something like that. Then we started seeing eyes around us, and there were steps, and then it went 'You shall be eaten' and there was the giant face in the sky and…" Draconix sighed "Look, I know it sounds weird, but I'm telling the truth.

Raziel looked puzzled for a second, and then nodded "Fine I believe you."

"You what?"

"Man, do you realize how many Ghost types are out there? Sure in Kanto we only see Gastly and his family, but there are a lot more. Trust me, you have likely been the victim of some Ghost playing a prank. Probably the same for the others you told me about. Must be a strong one."

Draconix looked at him. No fright, not even a hint of disbelief. He had not only bought the story completely, but was clearly already trying to figure out what kind of Pokémon it was.

"So, yellow eyes, and then white… either two or more, or an illusion. Fog… the steps are weird, maybe the Pokémon got some help… or is a very good one with sound based illusions, but I read somewhere that most Ghost types are bad at making step sounds on account of not having feet. Though maybe a Reborn one…" Raziel was deep in his thought. So deep in fact, he almost did not notice the bike coming his way. Thankfully, Draconix dragged him out of the way. The bike grinded to an alt soon after.

"Sorry, sorry!" Raziel shouted "I didn't want to…"

"Didn't want to what? Get run over?" the man on the bike asked angrily. He was a couple years older than both, dressed like a professional cyclist. His face was shaved and, apparently, so was his head, at least on the parts that stuck out of the helmet.

"Now listen sir, I am really sorry…" Raziel tried to say, but he was interrupted again.

"Do you have any idea what you just interrupted? I was this close to beating my record but no, a stupid kid has to be thinking about…"

"Woah there." Draconix said, looking at both the cyclist and Raziel. It was pretty clear his new friend was starting to move from 'very sorry' to 'very angry', and at quite the speed "Listen, we are sorry, but be can't really do anything about it. It's my fault as well, so please, just let it go."

The cyclist glared at both of them, and then just jumped back on his bike and run off, muttering something about "stupid pedestrians".

Draconix turned to Raziel. He was very angry, that much was clear "_Even a bit too angry."_ He thought, looking at his clenched fists and red face. After all, they WERE the ones at fault, so getting that heated over it seemed wrong.

After a minute or so, Raziel calmed down. "Sorry, I… I don't take insults well." Raziel said.

"Uh, but you didn't get that angry with Blue."

"Of course, he didn't insult me. Did he?"

Draconix processed the thing. "_He never realized Blue wanted to mock him with the fight? Or even before with the way he dresses?"_ He shook his head _"Well whatever, it's better this way. We should work together after all, and at least one of us won't think that guy is an insufferable prick." _

"No, no, I was just worried something he said might have sounded like an insult. Come on, let's go train some more."

The two proceeded north, calming down as they looked for Pokémon or Trainers to challenge. "_Some more training, and we should be ready to fight in the Gym."_ He thought, looking at his belt. They had made it to Pewter that morning together, after finding out they had slept in the same Trainer House. And surprisingly, Raziel had agreed to come and train with him. Considering the Gym was supposed to be a neutral type for him, he had expected the guy to just run into it. _"I bet Giuls and Blue probably already won."_ He thought.

After all, his friends were the best. "_Giuls has probably already made it to Mount Moon, and Blue could very well be in Cerulean knowing him."_ He mused. _"I probably have a lot to do to catch up."_


	7. Chapter 6: Familiar people and new faces

Raziel woke up early that morning. That was quite unusual of him, especially without an alarm. However, it took him a second to figure out why. He was extremely excited. "_My first gym battle. My first serious fight." _He ate a small breakfast, far too nervous to take in much food. He was about to leave the building when he turned to notice Giuls sitting at a table in a corner, crying at her phone.

He looked at her for a while, not knowing whether saying something would be rude. After a while she hang up and started to dry her face with a handkerchief. _"Oh, blast it."_ He thought, walking up to her. "Are you… ok Giuls?" He asked with some hesitation.

Giuls looked back at him and shook her head "I suppose saying yes would be a pretty stupid lie, right?" She said, trying to smile. More tears rolled down her face because of it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked again. Giuls seemed embarrassed for a second, then nodded.

"Yesterday, I went to the gym. And I… lost." She said. Noticing his puzzled look, she quickly continued "Now, now, I am not such a bad sport that just losing would have me in tears, especially the next day. The fact is… That I lost instead to someone else who was a candidate for owning the Dex. And he said some things that were… true, but not nice." She said, stopping a few times to think. Clearly there was something more, but Raziel didn't really know how to press the issue.

Then he just spoke "Giuls, listen. I have known you for what, three days? I don't know much about you. I can say you are a nice person, but that's really it." He raised his hand to stop her reply "But Draconix says you are a nice person too, and he knows you since you were kids."

"How do you know that?"

"He talks. A lot." He said, and Giuls chuckled "But listen, Professor Oak wouldn't choose a failure, would he? He had a hundred people asking to get a Pokédex, and he chose YOU. And remember, this is a project he holds dear. Would he risk it on a random trainer just because she is a friend of his nephew?"

Giuls gulped, holding back tears. She nodded "Raziel, there is something I need advice on…" She explained to him her problems with Bulbasaur. The fact she had been out of control since day one, how she had been winning non-stop… until she had not, ending up losing without landing a single blow.

"Now I am worried about her. She might have been… difficult, but she is my starter. And I want her to be my friend. Do you… Do you think there is anything I can do?"

Raziel thought. No, he didn't have an answer. After all they had the same amount of experience. But… "Giuls, if you are so incompatible, why is it she is still with you?"

Giuls looked at him, puzzled "What do you mean?"

"I mean, a Poké Ball is a pretty complex thing, and it gives a Pokémon many ways to run off if they really don't want to be trained, even after capture. But Bulbasaur has done none of those. She doesn't leave the Poké Ball unless you let her out, she doesn't try to run off, she fights every time she has to, even if in her own way…" He shook his head "I don't know, maybe I am just reading too much into it, but she sounds like the kind of Pokémon that would not stick with you if she truly wanted to leave. Maybe you can try to convince her to work with you, instead of alone?" He stood up "Good luck Giuls, that's all I can say. I am sorry I can't offer you any real help."

They exchanged some salutes, and he left, leaving her alone.

Giuls thought. She had not considered that, but it was true. Why was Bulbasaur still with her. She was strong enough to run in the wild if she wanted to. She might have set up a den in the Viridian Forest, run back to Oak's Lab, even back to her breeders. So why was she still with her.

She took the Ball in her hand and opened it. Bulbasaur looked downcast. She had been since the evening before, after the nurse had brought her back from the healing machine. It was clear her defeat had stung hard. And it also made Giuls realize something else: she was sad at seeing her like this. "_She might not like me, and I might not think she is perfect, but this is wrong. She is just not this kind of Pokémon. This is a mess."_

Back at the Academy, they would often talk about how to deal with defeat. How it was not the end but just a miss, something you could always get back from. But clearly Bulbasaur would have disagreed.

Giuls began to pat her gently on the head. At first, the saurian looked dumbfounded, but surprisingly it didn't try to stop her.

"You know, you have been quite hard on me, but I see you act even harder on yourself." She said. The Bulbasaur now scoffed, trying to act tough. She still did not stop the Trainer. For the first time, Giuls realized something about Bulbasaur: She held a high standard for herself as well. She had thought the Pokémon was just acting like that against her, but it was clear that wasn't the case. "_She probably never faulted me for losing. I bet she spent the night faulting this failure on herself."_ Which was true, she supposed, but… No, it was also her fault. A better trainer would have done more to calm her temper before it came to that fight. In fact, she had thought losing was the only way to calm her down. "_Nice trainer I am…"_

"Listen, I don't know if you can take this in right away, but listen. It wasn't only your fault for that defeat. It wasn't only mine either. We both made mistakes. I pretended to ignore the problem, you acted like that. We both failed." Bulbasaur looked up at her "Let's start over, shall we?" She asked.

The Bulbasaur didn't do much. She just sat there, looking like she was thinking about the whole situation, accepting the gentle pats on her head. And Giuls felt that maybe, maybe, things would have gone a little better from then on.

"Aya!" The man shouted, a punch flying forward. The young man dodged the punch of his instructor and punched forward in response. The man, the head of the Fighting Dojo nodded. "Good enough to pass the test. You need to deal with your habit of not using kicks much. This is not boxing."

The teen nodded, but the instructor knew very well what he really wanted, the main reason he had become his student over two years ago. He couldn't help but smile. The young man had shown enough dedication to deserve it. "Well, you know, I guess it's time for your 'graduation'." He said, going in the back and coming back with two Poké Balls "As you know, when one of our trainees becomes a licensed Trainer, if he passes the test we make him a gift." Ho coughed, trying to make his best speech. "And today, it is you, Darken Alkan, that gets to pass it. You have won the Pokémon fights, and have managed to spar with me for a bit. So… Here, pick one."

Darken stared at both for a second, then chose the left one. With a triumphant look, an Hitmonchan emerged from it, shadow boxing to showcase his ability. The teenager grinned and turned to the master. "Thank you sir, thank you."

"Worry not my friend. Quite frankly, I just wanted to give him to you without the test, but I figured you'd like to say goodbye to everyone." He said. Darken nodded.

The other trainers of the gym came closer to say goodbye to the young trainer. Everyone patted him on the back – or well, smacked him, judging by how loud some of the claps of the hand on his back were – and wished him good luck for his League attempt. He thanked everyone and then went back to him.

"Thank you master, really." He said "I know I have not been your best student, but I am sure what you taught me will help me."

The Dojo master smiled "Go and do your thing boy, you deserve it." And with that, he was gone. After a while, everyone else went back to his training.

"So how did it go?" Copycat asked, meeting him outside of the Fighting Dojo.

Darken smiled, showing off his new Poké Ball "I got the Hitmonchan and said goodbye to everyone. I'd say it went well."

"Everyone, uh?" She asked, grinning and walking away "I guess me and Doddy are no one then."

"I meant everyone from the Dojo." He replied, following her "So what are you going to do Copy? Still going to take that theater course after all?"

"Yup. I will be the greatest actress of the world, even better than Diantha." She said, smiling. Her voice had perfectly changed from her own to that of the actress in question, some celebrity Darken knew from Kalos, mostly because she was also an Elite Four, and from a couple movies she had shown him. But Copycat had always had a thing for international cinema, so she probably knew her a lot better. "Anyway, here we are. Home sweet home… for a little more at least."

"So your parents are selling after all?" He asked. Copycat's house was at the outskirt of town, a beautiful cottage. Probably better than his own house.

"I mean, the Supertrain is a great idea. Once it's complete we will be able to ride to Johto without needing a ship or a ride through the Indigo Plateau. I just wish they didn't have to build it over our house." She said, sighing "Well, no use for a grim note on our goodbye. Wait here, I'll get Doddy and Chansey out." She continued, running into her house.

Darken waited. Him and Copycat had been friends since they were kids, but now they were going to be apart for quite a long time. It was… sad, in a way, but he had his dream to complete and she had hers. As he was thinking that, she walked out, followed by a Doduo and a Chansey. Darken smiled and patted Chansey on the head, the Pokémon squeaking softly of happiness. Doduo turned to him and croaked a "Bye."

"I swear the first time he did that I had an heart attack. How did you even figure out Doddy can do that? I haven't found a single text saying anything about this."

Copycat shrugged "I don't know. I was rehashing for theater club and he just said one of my lines. Scared the crap out of me honestly."

Darken nodded. He knew even Professor Oak had come around once or twice to see the talking Doddy. She had been quite the spectacle for a while, before the news kind of faded into obscurity when they figured out it wasn't really talking but rather repeating lines someone had said around him. Still, for some scientist it had opened the possibility of many bird Pokémon being able to express themselves in some way. Apparently Chatot from Sinnoh was the best at it.

"Anyway, I guess it's time to say goodbye." Copycat said. She took out a small envelope "Here, a gift for your journey."

Darken did the same "And a small one for your career." He said. Of course, they had agreed to exchange presents, but they were still both happy.

Darken opened his, and sure enough, it was what he expected. A disc with the words "Mimic" written on it with red marker under the text "TM-31 – Kanto series 1". He smiled.

"I bet you can get some use out of it. More than me at least." She said "Treat it well, they discontinued production of the Kanto series 1 ten years ago."

Darken nodded, while Copycat opened her gift. She went wide eyed at the sight of the title. "Ice Mask Collection… How did you find one? It was taken out of the market after the filming incident three years ago!"

Darken grinned "That's confidential." In reality, he had spent the day before looking for a movie he knew the girl wouldn't own, until he had found the disk in his house, in his father's movie collection. He had asked and surprisingly he was ok with it. Apparently, he wasn't a big fan of the Ice Mask series.

They both smiled and hugged each other. "I'll miss you Copy." He said.

"Me too, Dark." She replied. "Good luck with your training career."

"Good luck with your actress career. Send me a ticket for your first movie." He said with a wink. They both laughed and then said goodbye to each other.

"Alright, Gym challenge, Gym challenge…" Raziel thought, walking through the field.

"Wait sir!" A voice exclaimed. Raziel turned around to see a trainer with the symbol of the Boulder badge painted on his t-shirt. A gym trainee then.

"Hello." Raziel said "I take we should fight? I have no medals yet. I have been a trainer for… three days." He continued. The other trainer nodded "Two v two."

"Oh, uhm, I actually only have one Pokémon. It will be a two v one?"

The other trainer looked at him for a second then checked a small paper he took out from his pocket. Probably rules, Raziel had to guess.

"Yes, a one v two, I hope that's ok."

"Well, is not my first one." The trainer replied, thinking back to all the trainer from Viridian Forest he had fought in the days before.

"Excellent." The trainer made him move back a bit so they could have proper space and sent out a Sandshrew."

"Ground type?" Raziel asked surprised, as Gastly entered the field.

"Yeah, I prefer Ground over Rock, but Brock is the best trainer around related to the type as far as I know, so…"

Raziel nodded and both began to fight. Sandshrew immediately coiled in a ball. Gastly's Lick touched the shell, making almost no damage against the Defense Curl. The Sandshrew sprinted forward, still curled, creating a mini-dust storm, hitting Gastly in the eyes. Raziel gritted his teeth. That Sand Attack was going to be a pain in the ass.

"Alright Gastly, we need force him to open his shell, use Lick on his tail!"

Gastly nodded even with his eyes somehow covered in tears – probably condensed gas, if he had to guess - , and charged forward. He phased through a second Sand Attack and tried to Lick the Sandshrew tail, but the Pokémon rolled around and dodged the tongue.

"_He is using his tail to change his direction, Defense Curl to avoid the blunt of the attacks and the paralysis, and Sand Attack to keep Gastly away from it. If I don't hit him fast, it's probably going to fill him with Sand and then move on the offensive…"_

Gastly phased through another Sand Attack, and used Lick again. The tongue hit it's target, and the tail went limp. "Good, now… Dodge!"

Gastly looked as the shell opened and the enemy Sandshrew jumped forward, his nail extended. Gastly allowed it to phase through him, poison dripping from the claw. "Poison Sting, uh… Gastly, new move."

Gastly smiled and looked at Sandshrew. The Pokémon went noticeably pale, took a step back and stumbled to the ground as a great shadow engulfed him, disappearing after a second. Raziel looked at him with starry eyes. "_I hope it doesn't scare them too much, but Night Shade is soooo cool!" _He thought, before focusing again. Meanwhile, Sandshrew curled again on his trainer call, the follow up Lick becoming mostly ineffective. However, this was now a battle of attrition, since the Pokémon was unable to move his paralyzed tail. After a while, the Pokémon was forced on the offensive, and ended up being defeated by another Night Shade followed by a Lick.

Raziel sighed in relief as the second Pokémon, a Geodude, came out of the Poké Ball. The Pokémon jumped forward and immediately moved into close combat, hitting with his punches. To Raziel's astonishment, the attack hit Gastly. "Wh… Oh it's Rock Throw." He realized. Of course a Pokémon that was a rock wouldn't need to pick up rocks to fight with it. Gastly stumbled back then darted forward with Night Shade. His eyes met the Geodude, but his trainer was ready to go for a Defense Curl. The second of contact still hurt, but the Pokémon managed to cover his eyes before the dark shadow hit him.

Raziel smiled "_So he uses his hands, uh?"_ He thought, and jumped back to telling Gastly to use Lick on the defensive Geodude. The Pokémon nodded and licked one of the hands, then the other, until one of the two went limp, leaving half of Geodude's face uncovered.

The Night Shade hit, this time the Pokémon was unable to cover his eyes in time. When the shadow left him, he was on the ground, defeated.

"That was an excellent fight!" The trainer declared, extending his hand to Raziel "Liam, trainee of Pewter. Your name is?"

"Raziel, from Lavender."

"Oh, you have come a long way. Why did you start from here? Don't trainers from Lavender usually start from Fuchsia or Saffron?"

"Yeah, but I got my starter in Pallet, so I am going through a different route."

"Ah, I see." Liam said "Well, your Gastly will be a nice change for Brock. Viridian usually gives Normal or Flying starters to the trainers, and Pallet hands out mostly Water, Grass and Fire, so a Ghost is pretty rare. Go ahead, there shouldn't be any other trainer on your way. Feel free to heal Gastly, there's no rule against that."

Raziel nodded, thanking him, and proceeded through the field. He did not run in any other trainer of his rank, although a few skilled trainers from western Kanto stopped him to make sure they didn't have to fight. Finally, he made it to the field.

"Welcome." Said the brown haired man sitting on one side of the arena. He was shirtless, his abs shining of sweat, drinking what seemed to be an energy drink. His eyes were two slits, almost closed "I am Brock, the Rock-Solid Gym Leader. I suppose you are a challenger?"

Raziel nodded. "Y-yes, it's my first challenge…"

"Yeah I can tell." He said, smiling a bit "Well, you must be a good fighter if you made it this far. Did you run in one of my trainees?"

"Yes, Liam."

"Oh, a tough one. Yes, I think I'll like this fight." He said, standing up and putting the cap back on the energy drink. "Two v two for the Boulder Badge."

"I only have one Pokémon, so a two v one." Raziel replied. Brock nodded, and gestured Raziel to the other side of the arena.

Raziel took a deep breath and started walking. "_Well, let's see if I can do this…"_


	8. Chapter 7: Boulders and Road Rollers

Raziel and Gastly stared at the Gym Leader, as they walked to their position on their side of the arena surrounded by rock. Brock grabbed a towel and cleaned himself of the sweat, then prepared two Poké Ball. He quickly put the second one on his belt and threw the first on the field. Geodude prepared himself, apparently shadow boxing.

Gastly entered the field. "_More rock licking? Dammit, tastes like dirt."_ He thought looking at the Geodude, still shadow boxing.

"_Uhm… Hello?"_ He said, staring awkwardly at the Geodude.

"_Oh, you are approaching me?"_

"_I… What?"_

"_Instead of running away, you are coming right to me?"_ The Geodude asked, preparing himself for the fight by taking a stance.

"_Uh… Ok I am not gonna question this."_ He said. The Gym Leader gave the start and Gastly darted forward. "_By the way, yes, I am approaching you."_

"_Oh-oh, then come as close as you like."_ The Geodude replied, before throwing a punch. The Rock Throw missed when Gastly phased through it and stared at Geodude right in the eyes.

"_Thanks friend, I will." _He said, replying with Night Shade. The usual darkness enveloped Geodude, who took a step back, shaken, before jumping back on the offensive.

"Gastly, watch out for the rocks!" His trainer called. Gastly kept his eyes on Geodude _"What rocks?"_

At that moment Geodude shattered the ground and started throwing rocks at him. "_Oh those rocks." _He said, dodging one and phasing through another.

"_No one can deflect this 20 meters Emerald Splash!"_ The Geodude shouted, launching a barrage of Rock Throw. Gastly phased through most and dodged the others, though one hit him square in the face. He closed his eyes reflexively, even though the rock came out from his body once he phased again.

"_Now, three things."_ Gastly replied darting forward "_I don't need to deflect it. It's not 20 meters. And those are just rocks."_ He said, dodging the last rock and hitting with Lick. The raised hand of the Geodude went limp. The Pokémon quickly curled covering his eyes with the remaining arm and rolled to the side, preparing to dodge the Night shade, but instead Gastly Licked again. The remaining arm went similarly down, paralyzed, and Gastly smiled.

"_Road Roller da." _He whispered, staring right in his eye with Night Shade. And Geodude's sight went dark.

Brock looked at the field. "I have the impression we just missed something in that fight." He said, calling back Geodude.

Raziel had to agree. Gastly was talkative in fight, and not knowing what he was saying always annoyed him. "_Wish there was a way to understand Pokémon."_

Brock moved his hand to the second Poké Ball. "_Ok, what is it? Omanyte? The other fossil? Or…" _And then Onix crashed on the field, roaring a challenge.

"Ok then." Raziel mumbled, looking at the almost 30 feet tall snake staring down at Gastly. "Ok Gastly… Dodge!"

The tail of the Onix came forward, like a giant rock whip, in what Raziel supposed was meant to be a Rock Throw. Gastly avoided it by raising higher, half way around the neck of the Rock Snake Pokémon.

Raziel ordered a Lick, but he knew that would barely leave any damage on the Onix. Maybe, if they lucked out, they could paralyze his neck and bring home a win, but…

"_I have to."_ He thought. He didn't like to win that way, but there wasn't much of a choice "Gastly, put him down!"

The Gastly nodded and levitated upwards, dodging a head bash that was probably meant to be another Rock Throw. Then Raziel noticed the Pokémon's tail.

"Behind you, phase!" Raziel shouted. Gastly looked back and screamed, phasing just in time to avoid the barrage of rock the Pokémon had created by hitting his tail against the ground. Then he smiled and stared at the Pokémon's eyes.

And then Onix closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Gastly went down and used Night Shade.

"I thought it could only work against a Pokémon with its eyes open." Brock commented, staring at Onix.

"Nope." Raziel replied "It's just a lot easier for Gastly, since the first half of the attack shows a Pokémon it's worst fear making it hard for them to move. Otherwise, most of them have the reaction time to dodge the shade itself, even with their eyes covered. Pokémon are really cool creatures. But if they are asleep, that's not a problem."

As if to confirm that, a dark shade enveloped Onix' head. The Pokémon whimpered but did not wake up. Night Shade hit again. And again.

Raziel was surprised. The Pokémon seemed to just refuse to go down, and Brock didn't seem too worried. Then, Onix burst back to life, his tail arching up and hitting Shade square on the flank with another Rock Throw.

"Dammit!" Raziel said "Alright Gastly, he is weak, now we just need to take him down!" He shouted. Gastly nodded – or looked quickly at the ground, hard to say – as Onix jumped forward, and disappeared underground.

"WHAT?!" Raziel shouted out loud. He knew Onix could do that, but why? Sure, Gengar's levitation was hit and miss, but Gastly could just Levitate freely. "Gastly, rise high enough where he won't reach you." He said. Gastly nodded and levitated to over thirty-five feet of height, more than enough to be out of the Onix reach. Brock was just cracking his knuckles and tapping his foot on the ground, apparently not worried.

And then Onix emerged from the rock on the side of the arena, little more than three feet under Gastly.

"What?" He asked as the snake emerged roaring arching up his back to rotate.

"Onix is not his evolution, but he is certainly hard enough to make his way through stone." Brock said "Rock Throw."

Onix turned mid hair, his tail cleaving a cut on the side of the rock he was emerging from, the stones flying towards a flabbergasted Gastly. The Pokémon was hit twice, as Onix landed somewhat messily in the middle of the field.

Gastly flinched as both rocks hit him in the face, throwing him back.

"_Your next line is: 'Was this your plan from the start?'"_ The Onix shouted.

"_Was this… Arceus dammit shut up! Are all Gym Pokémon like you two?" _He asked, darting down.

"Night Shade, Quick." Shouted Raziel. He nodded. If the big guy disappeared underground, he was probably going to lose the next time.

He moved down and jumped right in front of the Onix, preparing to use Night Shade. It was a risky move to stay that close to his face, but there was no way he could…

Then Onix opened his mouth and a barrage of rocks flew out.

Onix eats rock. That's what Raziel remembered. That was what allowed the Pokémon to dig faster, and what made him so beloved by farmers and other digging Pokémon.

"And yet I forgot that…" He said, as the rocks rained out of his mouth and against Gastly. He clenched his teeth, prepared to see his friend fall to the ground, readying his Poké Ball.

Instead the Gastly just moved forward, taking a rock square in the face but executing the Night Shade nonetheless. Onix roared in panic, and then fell to the ground.

For a few seconds, there was only a stunned silence. Then Brock began to laugh. At first slow and low, then a roaring laughter that thundered through the Gym.

"Excellent, excellent. That's what I call a rock-solid defense!" He said "You really surprised me. I thought that last attack was it, but what does he do? He just takes a granite rock square in the face and then Night Shade! Ah, this was a great fight!" He said. He put his end at the belt, searching for something, then finally took out the Badge.

He walked forward and Raziel did the same. They met midfield, and the Gym Leader smiled "Very well done, young man. Here this is your prize for the victory. The Boulder Badge. This glistening trophy will remind you of your victory against Brock, the Rock-Solid Gym Leader. Make sure you remember that today you proved that your defense and offense where equally great." The Gym leader smiled. "Two versus one, and you still came out victorious, without any type advantage. That is very remarkable." He added.

"Th-Thanks." Said Raziel, stuttering for a second "Can I ask a question?"

"Sure thing, my friend."

"How did you tell Onix where to jump out from? He was clearly ready to aim at Gastly, so…"

Brock shook his head "Unfortunately, I can't answer your question. That is part of my Gym Leader trade secrets, unlike the move itself. I take you don't watch much of Gym fights on the League Channels."

Raziel nodded. He had watched some of the matches that went on television, but of course the vast majority of the Gym matches shown were against trainers with seven badges or during special events like a fight between Gym Leaders. He usually watched only the League.

"Well, suffice to say many people ask me this question, but I can't really answer without revealing the inner works of one of my aces." He explained.

"I see. Thank you anyway."

"Oh no, thanks to you for the excellent fight. I hope I'll see you and your Pokémon soon on Television. I'll keep the video of our fight as a memento!"

Raziel was quite sure he was just being polite now but smiled anyway, as he saluted the gym leader and walked away, his heart racing again. _"I did it."_

Raziel left the gym and Gastly followed him. His trainer was so excited he had even forgotten to put him back inside his Poké Ball. "_Thanks dude, is not like I got five rocks square in the face or anything."_ Gastly thought. Then he thought back at the fight.

He had not expected to be able to hold against that last barrage. No one would have expected him to do that. So how come he had done it? _"I won." _He thought. The full realization was still hitting him. He had won against the Onix.

He sighed in relief. And then started falling down. "_Ah shit, my spiritual adrenaline…" _He mumbled, before his sight went dark.

He felt himself recalled in the Ball at the last second and smiled.


	9. Chapter 8: Training takes so long

Draconix was sitting on a rock, thinking, looking at his team. Charmander was running around the field, playing with some Rattata he had somehow befriended after beating it. Spearow was resting on a tree nearby. And he was… "Trying desperately to find a way to win this damn fight."

He had spent days training, and yet he was just not sure what he could actually do. Charmander and Spearow had no real moves against a Rock-type. "_Ground, Grass, Water, Fight… Easy to say, pity I can't actually use any of those." _He thought. "_And then there is the issue of an attack. If either of them gets hit twice at best, I am done for. No I… Dammit!"_ He thought punching the rock. He flinched, immediately regretting the choice to do so.

He had felt pretty confident just the day before, but then he had met a trainer with a Geodude. Not even one particularly strong, and yet he had almost beaten Charmander, winning only because his defense was a bit lacking and his Pokémon had managed more hits. But that would never be the case for someone that boasted a Rock-solid defense.

Spearow looked at his trainer opening one eye. "_Mh, the boss is in a bad spot, uh?"_ He thought, pondering the situation. I had understood that they were going to face two Rock-types in their next fight, which meant that their types put them at a disadvantage. Spearow jumped down from the tree, landed and walked up to Charmander.

"_Ohi, Flametail, we need to talk a minute."_ He said.

"_Ow, now?" _Charmander asked, interrupting his run after Rattata.

"_I am afraid so, my friend. The boss is in a bind and I think it's better if we think about something too."_ Spearow said "_He is making us stronger, and his tactics are quite handy, but we are probably going to sit here for a lot longer if WE don't help HIM."_

Charmander nodded, and thanked Rattata for the game, but explained he now had some work to do.

"_Sure man, no problem."_ The rat Pokémon said "_See ya."_ And he disappeared into the grass.

"_Ok, so, what were you thinking?" _Charmander asked.

The Tiny Bird Pokémon thought carefully. "_Mh, what can we do… Let's see, where would Fearow start to deal with this situation…" _He took a rock from the ground and looked at it. He tried to Peck it, but the rock did not budge.

"_Scratch it."_ The Pokémon said, turning to Charmander.

"_What?"_

"_Scratch the rock."_

Charmander looked at him puzzled, then nodded and used Scratch on it. A shallow claw mark was all that was left on the pebble.

"_Now Ember."_

Charmander nodded and used Ember on the rock. The rock shined a bit as it heated up, but soon went back to normal. _"Can I ask what we are trying exactly?"_

Spearow looked at the rock _"I am just trying to figure out if we currently have anything to damage a Rock-type."_

"_I mean, I could just have told you the answer was…"_

"_Yes."_

"_What?"_

"_I have a plan now."_ Spearow said. _"But that will require some harsh training on your part. Think you can do it?"_

Charmander nodded _"So long as we help Draconix, I am more than happy to go through most stuff. Where do we start?"_

Spearow grinned, something Charmander thought was impossible with a beak _"First thing first, we make Draconix stand up from that rock. We need it."_

Giuls looked at the museum. She had figured it was better to give Bulbasaur a bit longer to process, so she had decided to give a visit to the Pewter Museum. The Grass-type was walking behind her, deep in thought. Truth be told, the girl was deep in thought too, but she knew she needed time to calm down. And who knew, maybe they could have bonded a bit.

She looked at the exposed fossils. The two bigger ones showed a Kabutops and an Aerodactyl, skeletons millions of years old. "_Damn, those must have been quite big."_ She thought. She knew recent tech had managed to do what was supposed to be impossible and resurrect not less than six fossils, but as far as she knew no one had yet made one evolve in a Kabutops or Omastar, or figured out if Aerodactyl had any evolution. She took a look at her Pokédex.

Aerodactyl was depicted with an actual photo, although accompanied by the skeleton she was looking at. Kabutops on the other hand was shown as only the Skeleton. Omastar's picture was an artist rendition based 'on a now lost fossil', according to the description. She wondered if the Pokédex could take photos and upload them on the system. "_The professor is many things, but not an electronic expert. Should have probably paid someone else to code this."_ She thought, pointing it at the fossil of Kabutops. Instead of showing Kabutops, the image appeared accompanied by the number 000 and the name Missingno.

"_Why even code this name in professor?"_ She wondered. Closing and reopening the Dex function she pointed it again at the Kabutops fossil, and this time it showed the right page, with all the known info on Kabutops.

Giuls sighed and proceeded. The rest of the museum was full of less impressive fossils. An entire exposition was dedicated to those discovered by Brock.

The top floor was divided in two. On one side, a space exposition. She looked at it. Meteors, a diorama of the Moon landing, and more stuff of that kind. She had never been interested in fossils, so she moved to the following room.

Here, she found an exposition on ancient civilizations. The oldest thing was a depiction of what appeared to be some sort of giant shining flower. People around it were… worshiping it… or maybe begging it for mercy? Hard to say.

Most of the exposition focused on the Legendary Birds. Those had lived in Kanto and Johto since ancient times, and there was a rich iconography on them. She stared at a ten feet tall statue of Moltres, wondering if the real Pokémon was that impressive.

"Admiring my family collection, miss?" A voice asked from behind. She turned around to find herself face to face with what would have been the most stereotypical depiction of an archeologist she could think of, like he was a try-hard cosplayer of Orre Jones minus the whip. From the hat to the brown jacket, down to the shoes. The only difference was that this man had long brown hair and was about five years older, if she had to guess.

"Your… family collection?" She asked.

"Indeed. Speadgey Lones, at your service. And no, the name is not made up."

"I know a Draconix, I can believe it. Some families have peculiar tastes. My name is Giuls Touki. I think the name is a corruption of Juliet, or something like that. Anyway, what do you mean your collection?"

"I come from a long line of Trainer Archeologists, researchers in the history of humans and Pokémon. And once upon a time, archeologic research used to be a bit more 'grab what you can and keep it or sell it' and a lot less 'this stuff needs to be put into a museum'. In recent years, my family has gifted most of our artifacts to the Pewter museum. You are looking at them right now." He said, his smile going ear to ear as he explained.

"I see." Giuls said "That's quite amazing. But, Trainer Archeologists? You mean…"

The man smiled and opened the left side of his jacket, showing a shining Boulder Badge. "Indeed, we are both. That's why now that I am freshly graduated from my Archology course, I am taking the League challenge." He said proudly.

Giuls nodded, but she didn't know what else to say. That was when Speadgey – what a name – continued "So, the Bulbasaur is yours?" He asked, pointing at the Grass Pokémon. She nodded again.

"Great Pokémon. I have always been envious of Pallet. Pewter gives you a Poison or Flying-type at graduation. That's how I got Idol." He said, opening a Pokéball. A Golbat flew out of it and immediately perched herself on the Moltres statue.

"Idol come down from that statue!" He shouted, but Golbat remained perched on it.

"Damn it." He sighed "We have never been… on the best of terms. At first I remember she wouldn't even listen to me in combat, as ashamed as I am to admit it."

Giuls looked at Bulbasaur "Tell me about it. So… how did you solve that problem?"

"Honestly? It kind of happened. Idol lost a bunch of fight we took during university, and started to understand that working with me was better than working against me. I don't think there was any real trick to it." He replied. Idol scoffed, clearly unhappy about the comment, but she did not move. "If you are having similar problem, I can only suggest patience."

Giuls nodded "So, are you going to Cerulean next?"

"No, I plan to fly to Cinnabar. I have been there on vacation once or twice, my Pokémon know the way." He said.

Giuls thought about what she knew of Cinnabar "Fire-Type Gym? I don't think I'd want to take it on any time soon."

"Ahahah, yeah, I suppose so. Well, good luck for your Gym Challenge then." He said, smiling and walking away "And don't worry too much. Humans and Pokémon are meant to live together, we did so since long before Poké Balls. That's what history teaches us. Work with her, and she will work with you." And saying so, he walked off "Farewell Giuls, hope we met again." Idol sighed and then took flight, following him outside.

Giuls pondered what he had told her and smiled. "_I guess he is right."_ She turned to Bulbasaur "So what do you say, want to try the Gym again?" She asked. Bulbasaur thought for a moment, then nodded. Giuls sighed in relief, and started walking, clenching her fists. "_I can do this."_ She thought.

Darken stared at his belt. Six Poké Ball, plus all the other he had already stored on the PC.

"Let's see," he said, touching them one by one "_I have here… well Free, Peat, Apachai, Tuffball, Renard, Erica, Guard … Yeah, and with the others on the PC that should be all."_ He thought "_Pity I could only find two that were not interested into evolution. Guess is true weirdos are rare._" He continued.

He opened three Balls and the Pokémon inside jumped out. First was his Starter Butterfree, called Free, his Pidgey Peat and his Jigglypuff, Tuffball, who smiled and moved closer to get some head pats. "Alright guys, I'd say we found all the new friends we needed. The rest of the day is free training, are you ready?" He asked patting softly Tuffball, that made a small grin of satisfaction. The other Pokémon nodded, and they started working in finding some challenges.

Darken opened his book. It was an old book, written by Professor Fuji and Professor Oak years back. Many of the info inside, listing Pokémon biology, had been called either partially incorrect or simplistic, but it had been that very book that had inspired him into choosing his path as a trainer. He read for the hundredth time the text on the preface, written by Professor Fuji. "_Many men have dreamed of finding and befriending each and every Pokémon in our vast world. To 'catch'em all' has been a dream many still hold dear. And perhaps, one day someone will make it." _He read "_I will, Professor. I will."_


	10. Chapter 9: Tackles and Ariados Man

Giuls gave only a quick look at the list of trainers that had won the Gym challenge in Pewter. Sure enough, A. Ayn was near the top of the list. "_So he did it, uh?"_ She thought in passing. She wondered if Raziel had won as well, but she realized on that moment she did not know his surname. There was an R. Spartos near the top of the list though, so maybe. No trace of Draconix on the ledger, he must have been still training.

She took a deep breath as she walked in the arena, taking a route through the gym. She run in another challenger once, but thankfully he already had five, so there was no fight. And so, amazingly, she made it to the Gym Leader without running into a single challenge. "_How did I even do that."_ She wondered, looking at the arena surrounded of rocks. One of them looked broken, like something had… punched a hole in it? "_Must have been some high-level fight."_ She thought.

Brock was sitting on the ground, surrounded by no less than ten Poké Ball. He had a black t-shirt on, and was apparently reading some magazine that, judging by the cover, was on paleontology. The Pokémon depicted on the cover were great dinosaurs, but she couldn't read the text on it from where she was. The man raised his eyes and nodded. "Welcome." He said, gesturing her toward the other "I don't suppose there are many people in the Gym right now."

"Yeah, somehow I made it here without a fight this time."

Brock raised an eyebrow "Didn't make it the first time?"

Giuls gulped but answered honestly "Yeah, I run in another trainer and lost yesterday." She stared at Brock, but he did not make any additional comment as she walked to her position.

"So how many badges do you have?" He asked.

"I just started in Pallet four days ago, don't have any yet." She replied. He nodded and quickly took two Poké Ball from the ground. He checked something and nodded.

"Very well. I'll use two Pokémon. You can use one or two." He said, opening a ball and sending out a Geodude, who stood there, ready.

Giuls took out Bulbasaur's Poké Ball and sent her out.

Bulbasaur stared at the Geodude, who had now put himself in position to fight.

She smiled _"Ok rock, let's see what you can do."_

In response, Geodude quickly took a stance, and shouted at full lungs "_Ok master, let's kill da hoe. Beeeeetch!"_

For a second Bulbasaur was too shocked to talk. Then she grinned, her anger exploding _"Oh, I am going to enjoy this a lot more than I expected."_

As soon as Slit-Eyes gave the start, she darted forward.

"Ok Bulbasaur, go for…" Before her trainer could finish, she launched her Vine Whip. Two long vines emerged from the side of the bulb on her back. Geodude manage to block one with both hands, but the second slammed him on the head.

Geodude grinned and pulled the Vine in his hands, throwing Bulbasaur upward and then slamming her on the ground.

"_Is that even a move?"_

"_Counts as Tackle."_

"_No that's not a Tackle!" _She shouted, recalling her vines and taking a more prudent stench.

"Get in close range, he wants to keep you on the defensive!" The Tomboy shouted.

"_I knew that, yeah." _She replied, but moved forward anyway. Right on time, since the Geodude meanwhile had picked up some rocks and was starting to use Rock Throw. She easily dodged by jumping right, twirling a bit in the air for show, and then hit with Vine Whip. When Geodude went to grab one with his left hand, she smiled and bent backwards, changing the Whip's course slightly and throwing off the Rock Pokémon's grab. She then started running forward.

"_Alright, now…"_ She thought, but she was interrupted by the Tomboy's call "Jump to the left, now!"

"_What do you m…"_ She began, but then noticed the movement of Geodude and did it right on time. A second later, the Rock Throw landed where she would have been had she not changed course. _"Ok, I hand it to her, that was a good call."_ Bulbasaur said, running forward and hitting with Vine Whip, this time aiming the vines to the sides of the Geodude. The Pokémon ducked, hoping to make both blows fly over his body, but Bulbasaur smiled and bent her back forward, making the vines fall on him.

"_Ok master. Let's kill da hoe."_ She said mockingly _"Now just go to sleep."_ She said, preparing her last Vine Whip.

Geodude smiled "_I refuse."_ He said, and blocked the blow with his arm. To his surprise, however, the attack didn't stop. Instead, Bulbasaur smiled.

"_I so hoped you'd say that."_ She said as the vine locked itself around his arm. _"Let's see if you like Tackle, shall we."_ And then she pulled. Geodude had only a split second to realize what was going on before he found himself pulled high and then forced to crash down to the Arena. The Pokémon did not wake up from that.

"A bit on the rough side, I might say." Brock commented recalling Geodude "But all in all I'd say a good first match. Now however I want to see serious Trainer work." He added, throwing his second Ball on the field.

Giuls looked at it open, and at the gigantic figure entering the field. "_Oh yeah, no problem, just a Onix."_ She thought.

"Fine… Bulbasaur, this one is a tough one, feeling good?"

Bulbasaur nodded. Giuls felt relief. She was actually listening. "Ok, go for a Vine Whip up close, let's see how tough this Rock-Solid defense actually is."

Bulbasaur had already jumped forward, but she waited until she was close to unleash her vines. The giant rock snake instantly changed his position, going for a tail whip.

"Grab with the whip on his neck and pull, now!" Giuls shouted. To her enormous relief Bulbasaur did it, pulling herself out of the way of the attack, and landing on the Onix.

"Alright, go for some Vine Whip… no, dodge!" She shouted, but this time she was too late. Onix had immediately hit the ground with his tail, creating a rain of rocks that flew towards Bulbasaur, launching her off and on the ground of the Arena. The Bulbasaur got up, but she was clearly feeling the blow.

"_Dammit, you overgrown worm."_ Bulbasaur said, jumping to the right just in time to avoid the Onix tail, that landed right next to her.

"_Now, that's not how a lady should talk." _Onix replied, using the rocks created by the impact as projectile by hitting them with his tail.

"Dodge right and then stop!" Shouted Giuls. Bulbasaur frowned, but decided to trust her once more.

'_If she messes up I can always go back to ignore her.'_ She thought, dodging a rock by jumping left and stopping. Right on time, as another rock passed right in front of her. '_Eh, look at that, she was right.'_ She thought, resuming her run. Maybe the Tomboy wasn't that bad after all.

She stared at the great snake, trying to think of a plan as she kept running to avoid his tail. '_Can't hope to take him down with a battle of attrition. We… I need a plan.' _She jumped to dodge a Rock Throw flying against her from below, right on time with her trainer's call. She landed and continued running, smiling.

Giuls was thinking fast. Where would the attack land next? Where would the rocks fly? If she was hit, even Bulbasaur risked to fall before landing enough blows.

"Vine Whip to your right!" she shouted. Bulbasaur hit perfectly, timing the hit with the giant tail of the Onix. The Vine Whip hit on mark, and Onix moved it back.

"Now go for the upper body, while he can't hit you." She shouted. Bulbasaur was already doing it, running forward at full speed and jumping up to give her vines as much impact as possible.

"Wait, don't j…" But she was too late. The tail turned back, thrusting right on Bulbasaur's flank. The Pokémon flew back, Giuls flinching at the damage of the Rock Throw… and then her Pokémon started to turn in the air. Even Giuls took a second to realize one of her vines was locked around the body of the snake, keeping her from just flying away, like some sort of saurian Ariados-Man. "_Great job girl." _She thought, as the Bulbasaur began to arch back and found herself on the open back of the enemy.

"Ok, Vine Whip again!" She shouted. Bulbasaur nodded and released the neck, hitting with a double Vine Whip right on her enemy's back. Onix roared in pain, then Brock gave an order and the Pokémon disappeared underground.

"_Shit."_ Giuls thought "Ok Bulbasaur, it's you or him, think you can do it?"

Bulbasaur nodded.

Giuls took a deep breath and clenched her fist. "Then I trust you! Dodge when he comes up and send him flying." She shouted.

Bulbasaur waited, extending her vines to touch the ground. Then, all of a sudden, she jumped right. A moment later, the gigantic head of Onix burst out of the ground, like a rock eruption. Bulbasaur and Giuls smiled, and the Grass-Type hit with her whips. Onix roared back… and then collapsed.

Everyone stood in shock, before Giuls fell to her knees. "We… did it." She whispered "We did it!" She shouted.

"_That was… good." _Bulbasaur thought, with a deep breath. She stared at the Onix, as her trainer walked up to the Gym Leader.

"_Ohi, you are still alive right?" _She asked.

The Pokémon grumbled in response, unable to move or do much else.

"_Yeah figured. Just give a message for me to the Geodude." _She said "_Tell him the next time he talks to me like that, I'll smack him twice as harder."_

Onix chuckled _"I think he learned that already."_

Bulbasaur scoffed and walked away. "_Yeah, but idiots usually need a reminder."_

"Well, that was a decent fight." Brock said, while handing her the Boulder Badge "Can't say the best I have had today, but that's…" He looked up at the hole in the rock on the edge of the arena "Kind of a tall order today. Anyway, you should work on your teamwork. I could tell a couple time Bulbasaur acted on her own and with you in the dark, and while most of the time she was correct, her Trainer should be able to tell what she is doing without being too surprised to react."

Giuls nodded. The Gym Leader smiled "Well, she is a talented one. Keep working on her training, and you will achieve a lot. Good luck with your next gym challenge." He said.

"Thank you sir. If you don't mind me asking, do you always use Onix against people with no badges?"

"Always." He replied.

"Why?"

He smiled "Was it a harsh challenge?"

"Harsh? I thought we wouldn't make it at least three times."

Brock nodded "But you made it. See, I hate to be just a boulder in your path, but the job of a Gym Leader is to make someone understand how harsh a League Challenge is. This was your first fight, and you overcame an obstacle many wouldn't. If you ever feel like giving up, think back at the Rock-Solid Gym Leader, at this first fight, and remember: whatever people might say, you and your Pokémon proved you were worth enough to beat me and Onix."

Giuls blushed "Weirdly soft from the Rock-Solid Gym Leader." She said, before realizing she had spoken out loud. She immediately covered her mouth.

Rock chuckled "I suppose I might be, but I hate to see potential lost. Good luck with your journey, miss Giuls." He said, extending his hand. Giuls grabbed it and smiled in return.

Then she left the Gym, Bulbasaur right behind her. And for the first time in four days, she was truly feeling happy.


	11. Chapter 10: Training and Gyms

"Ok, let me figure this out." Blue asked, looking at the two man, dressed as fighters ready to enter some martial tournament, in front of him. "One of you believes Mega Kick is the best TM of Kanto Series 1, while the other believes Mega Punch is the best. Correct?"

The two men nodded, their Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee just groaning. It just took a look for Blue to figure out neither of them cared more than him. "_Why did I even waste time to listen to these two."_ He had made in sight of Cerulean about one hour before, on the morning of his third day of travel from Pewter, when the two men had stopped him to ask his opinion on the stupidest discussion he could have thought of.

"Right, uh, I'd argue they are pretty well balanced." He said "Mega Punch lacks the raw power but is easier to land, while Mega Kick is stronger but it's a bit slower, so enemies see it coming. Sounds to me they are both pretty valid."

"Yes, but Mega Punch is more valid!" The first man shouted.

"In your dreams! Mega Kick will end any fight a lot quicker!" The second one replied.

"_I should have taken it easy in Mount Moon, maybe I would have dodged this…"_ The young Trainer thought, before one of the two continued.

"Ah, if it lands at all that is!" The other said, grinning. "Come on boy, let me teach your Pokémon Mega Punch, you'll see for yourself."

"Nonsense, let me teach your Pokémon Mega Kick instead."

At this, Blue had to do a double take "Wait, you mean you can actually teach someone those?"

"Of course we can! After they discontinued series 1 and didn't put Mega Kick in series 2, I made sure I could teach it to my Pokémon easily." The one with the Hitmonlee said, proud.

"And I did the same for Mega Punch, the clearly superior move."

Blue smiled and opened his Poké Ball, letting Squirtle come out "Well guys, you see, I don't think it's correct of me to just get one, because then how could I compare them? BUT, if you taught him both, I could try them on the field and… maybe see which is the best?" He asked.

The two looked at each other, then turned to him and Squirtle "But of course, why didn't we think of that?!" They shouted loudly together. Then they both grabbed the Turtle Pokémon, one per arm, dragging him toward Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan "Now boy, just relax, those two will teach you perfectly."

The Pokémon glared at Blue, who simply smiled "Come on boy, it's for the good of the team." He said. Squirtle clearly did not agree.

Raziel woke up, smiling. He dressed carefully and then looked at the Boulder Badge. "_I still can't believe I made it."_ He thought. He sighed _"I shouldn't say this. Gastly gave his all and came out victorious, I better treat him for a day on low training."_ He put back his Badge in the jacket, and took out the map. "_Let's see, it takes two days to trail to Mount Moon at normal speed. Making through it and to Cerulean, another one or two days. Maybe I can give him a full free day and then we depart."_

Lost in his thought, he left the room and moved to the ground floor. Here, he found Giuls and Draconix, busy discussing something.

"Hello everyone." He said, moving closer.

"Hello Raziel." Said Draconix, smiling in return. The Ghost-type Trainer noted his Spearow perched on his shoulder, apparently deep in thought.

"Hello." Added Giuls "So did you win the Badge?" She asked. He smiled and took the object out of his pocket. Giuls did the same, showing she too had made it.

Raziel smiled "So did you solve the… issue?" He asked, trying to stay vague.

"You can spell it out, I told Draconix too." She said "We have made some clear progress, thanks to some advice I got yesterday."

"I was actually trying to get her to tell me more about her fight, but she seems convinced I shouldn't know anything about the Gym."

Raziel nodded "I kind of agree. It's not much of a challenge if you know in advance everything, don't you think? Anyway, couldn't you find something online if you want to? I doubt everyone thinks the same."

"Yes but that feels like cheating." Draconix replied with a sigh "Fine, fine, I'll do it on my own. I plan to go later today. Want to come see?"

Giuls shook her head "No, I want to leave town today and get to Mount Moon as soon as possible."

"I can come. I think after yesterday Gastly deserves some free time. I'll visit the museum and maybe train a bit, but until tomorrow I am in town. Send me a message when you leave." Raziel said.

Draconix smiled "Excellent. Now though, I better get to some more training. See you later." He said, standing up and leaving.

"So where do you think is Blue?" Raziel asked Giuls after the brown-haired teen left.

She chuckled. "Probably challenging Cerulean at this point, unless something incredibly bad or incredibly important happened."

"_So, the secret for Mega Kick is kicking really, really hard." _Hitmonlee explained, with a serious look. Squirtle simply kept his eyes on him, expecting a joke or something from the mouthless Pokémon.

'_Speaking of that, how come I can hear him talk?'_ He wondered, but his thought was interrupted by Hitmonchan.

"_What he means is that the Mega techniques put some extra weight in an attack, compared to that of a normal punch you might throw."_ He explained "_Imagine a Tackle, but like, focused entirely in your arm. That's the core of a Mega Punch. That focus is what makes it hard enough to bring down an opponent with some tough skin."_

"_Ok so, I focus on punching and the punch becomes harder?"_ He asked.

"_Well, it's an extreme summary, but yeah, that's the gist of it. Clench your fist, and you can punch your way through anything."_

Squirtle looked at the rock the two had prepared for him to test his moves. He clenched his small fist, and moved closer. _"Focus on Tackle… and punch!" _He thought, attacking. The fist impacted with the rock and he cried in pain. "_Ouch…"_

Hitmonlee shook his head "_No, no, you have to feel the energy of your whole body concentrate in that single blow." _He explained "_Think of what it really feels like when you Tackle, and then do it."_

Squirtle tried to process. What did it feel like when he Tackled? Sure, he could feel his body toughen up in preparation for the attack. It was similar to the…

'_Feeling in my leg and neck when I launch a Water Gun.'_ He thought. He closed his eyes, and prepared his Water Gun. He instantly felt his neck and leg toughen up, ready to counter the recoil. He smiled, and instead of throwing a Water Gun he kicked.

He felt his kick impact the rock, and part of it flying off. He smiled, as the Mega Kick faded. "_This is actually pretty cool."_ He said.

"_Alright!" _cheered Hitmonlee "_Now do it again, you need to be able to throw it fast enough to actually make it usable."_

"_Yeah, and then try to do the same with your arms. You caught up to it quickly. Even a bit too quick."_ Hitmonchan said "_Stay focused and in a few more hours we should be done at this pace."_

Squirtle nodded _"Maybe this isn't too bad after all." _He looked back at his trainer, who nodded, and instantly felt even more joy _"Yup, this is nice."_

Draconix smiled, looking at the broken rock. "_Yes, with this we can do it."_ He thought, smiling. "Alright guys, let's see if we can really do it." He said to Spearow and Charmander, who nodded in return. He looked at the orange sky. It was about 7 PM, so he had an hour before the Gym closed.

"Let's do this."

Darken entered back into Saffron City, smiling, his Butterfree Free always following him. His first Gym Battle in his home city? Sounded perfect. He took the phone almost mechanically to call his friend, then shook his head and put it down. "_I shouldn't disturb her; I don't even know if I can win this one."_

Psychic was a tough typing after all, especially for a green trainer like him, but he had a couple aces up his sleeve. With a deep breath he took his first step in the building. It was a single room, brightly lit by the lamps above his heads. On the floor, there were two white tiles, clearly different from the light purple of the others. He looked up at his Butterfree and nodded, and the two moved on the tile on the left.

After a second, he felt himself disappear, only to reappear on the other side, Free right next to him. He took a sigh of relief. He knew it was childish, but Copy had shown him a bit too many movies where two people, or a human and a Pokémon, teleported together, only for them to come out horribly fused. "_Thankfully that's science fiction and this is reality."_ He thought, scanning the room. Two more teleporters were on the opposite side of the room.

The test of Saffron was technically very simple. Just use the teleporters, and make your way through the rooms from ground floor to the second floor where the Gym Leader was. Some rooms had trainers, that you were expected to challenge. Running into another Challenger, as long as the experience of the two was comparable. Otherwise, they could just continue on their way. Of course, the trick was some rooms had two exits, others had one. It could take quite long for someone to make their way through.

He jumped on the teleporter. Another room. This time however, one more person was there.

"Welcome." The blonde-haired girl said, smiling "I assume you want to challenge the Gym. Well, to continue, you have to beat me. If you do, I'll tell you the right choice to move through the next three room and get closer to the Gym Leader."

"Thank you." Darken said, readying Free. "I have no badges, and got my license less than a week ago. Should be a two v two, right?"

The girl smiled "Of course. Smart to make your Starter evolve all the way before the Challenge. Now, shall we begin?" She asked. A Poké Ball flew off her belt by herself and opened, revealing an Abra.

"Of course." Said Darken.

Draconix entered the gym, reading the names on the panel. "G. H. G. Touki… R. Spartos… B. Oak…" He counted. He saw some other names he knew, trainers from his same year at the Pallet Town Academy. _"Well, let's add mine._" He thought. He wasn't actually that confident, after all the strategy his Pokémon had shown him was a gamble in a fight with a Gym Leader.

Still, he didn't have much of a choice, so he started walking on the field. Not even at his second rock, someone called from his side.

"Hello." Said the young dark-haired woman moving closer "Are you a challenger?"

He nodded "No medals yet." He added, before she had to ask.

"Ah, in that case two v two. Fresh out of the Academy?" He nodded again and she smiled "Great. I graduated only two years ago, I remember how it was." She said.

Draconix smiled in return "Out of curiosity, did you take the Gym Challenge or did you just jump straight into being a Trainee?"

She chuckled "I beat Brock but lost against Misty and realized I wasn't that interested in taking the League. So instead I took the Trainee Course a year later and due to my preference for Rock-Type I was taken in."

Draconix nodded. He had not expected her to share that much, but it made sense.

"Well, shall we start?" She asked, taking out a Poké Ball. He nodded, sending out Spearow to her surprise.

"_Let's see if this can work."_ He thought, as the fight begun.


	12. Chapter 11: Expectations and reality

Raziel smiled entering the Gym from the spectator door. Differently from the challenger's doors, this one led upstairs, to various rows of seats above the ground. From there, they could easily see the battlefield, although the sight was somewhat obstructed by the rocks. Still, most of the field was visible. _"I guess that's why Brock is a Gym Leader and not an architect."_ Raziel thought. Gastly simply raised higher, about six feet above his head, where it was easier to watch.

Raziel had received Draconix' message about ten minutes earlier and had run to the Gym, but was still worried he had missed him. Thankfully, in that very moment he saw his friend walk through the rocky area around the arena, clearly looking for an opening to continue over quite a long stone wall. He bumped into someone else, but the two continued their separate ways after a few moments, meaning the latter was likely someone more experienced.

"Right on time." He said with a sigh of relief.

A man on the side moved closer, smiling "First time watching a Gym Challenge in Pewter?" He asked with a smile. The man looked about thirty, with short red hair, red eyes – something Raziel had not seen before – and a cheerful demeanor.

"Well, yes. How could you tell?" He replied.

The man now looked proud, like he was explaining some magic trick after being begged by a waiting crowd "Well, I happen to be somewhat of an expert in watching Gym Matches. I guess you could say I am quite used to it as a Sport Journalist." He said "For example, I can tell you don't know that sitting there" he said pointing two rows upward and three rows to the left "Gives a much better view of the field despite the… questionable build of Pewter Gym."

"Oooooh." Raziel said, unsure on how to continue "Should we… move there? The fight is about to start and I'd like to take your suggestion."

The man kept his red eyes focused on the young man. "Say, you are one of those 'Dexholders' boys, right? One of those that got the Pokédex professor Oak spoke about?"

"Well, I… Yes, I am."

The man clapped his hands "Excellent, excellent. How is your Gym Challenge going?"

At this Raziel smiled, a grin almost ear to ear "I got my first badge yesterday in a two on one fight. Quite proud of it if I do say so myself."

The man nodded "I see, I see. What about the others? Is your friend down there one of them?" He asked. Apparently in that time Draconix had found his way around, and was now greeting Brock.

"Yes, he is. And the other two have already beaten the Gym." He said.

The man nodded, then pointed to the seats. "Shall we move?" He said, already standing up. Raziel did the same and together they moved upwards. He had to admit, the man was right. From that position it was much easier to see the whole arena.

"_Come on Draconix, you can do it…"_ Raziel thought. The journalist didn't seem interested, although Raziel caught him once looking his way. He thought to ask what he wanted, but then the battle started and he had to focus on it.

Draconix looked at the Gym Leader. He was wearing an orange v cut jersey and a black t-shirt underneath, accompanied by brown long pants.

He smiled noticing the challenger. "Welcome to Pewter Gym. So, how many medals do you have?" He asked.

Draconix shook his head "I am a new one. Only became a trainer little over a week ago."

"Yeah it's that part of the year after all. I have been having a lot of young Trainers recently." He said "And some have proven quite good too. Shall we see if you can live up to it?"

Draconix smiled. "Two v two, correct?" He asked. Brock nodded, sending out Kabuto.

"Uh, I didn't expect that one." Draconix replied.

"Yeah, yesterday it seemed Geodude was causing some issues with the challengers' Pokémon, I noticed some getting really angry. So today he is out of both Gym duty and TV watch privilege. I have no problem with provoking a reaction, but that didn't help him a couple times yesterday." The trainer said.

Draconix took out the Pokédex. "_Shellfish Pokémon Kabuto… Found on the ocean floor eons ago… Can't right themselves if turned upside-down?_"

Brock chuckled "I have no issue with people looking up info on my Kabuto, but could you send out yours?" He replied.

Draconix nodded "Sure, sorry." He opened the ball and sent out Spearow. The Pokémon stared first at Kabuto, then at him. "Yeah, looks like some of our predictions were off. Think you can do it?"

Spearow nodded.

"_Alright, you oversized sea bug, let's see what you can do." _Spearow said, circling him like he was a prey.

"_A-Actually I am not a Bug, sir. I-I am told I am a Rock and Water-type."_ The Pokémon responded in a soft, polite voice, stuttering a couple times.

"_Oh, sorry, I just assumed…"_

"_N-no problem sir, easy mistake." _The Kabuto replied, bowing his head a little.

Spearow scoffed _'I got quite the green one here, don't I?' _He wondered, then the Gym Leader gave the start. The Flying-type let himself fall and darted down, aiming his Peck to the Kabuto's shell. '_Rock or not, at least he doesn't look as tough as a Geodude.'_

And then Kabuto turned and fired his Water Gun. Spearow yelped in surprise and immediately used his wings to stop his fall, but it was too late. He had gotten better at it after the… incident, but he was still not one of the best Flying Pokémon. The water sent him upwards, and he rolled a bit midair before regaining control. He shook his body to get rid of most of what was left and started circling around.

"_Ok, no big deal, just some water."_

"Spearow, go for his lower body, can you do that?" Draconix shouted. Spearow nodded and circled down. Halfway through he changed his course to dodge another Water Gun. Then, when he was about to touch the ground, he went forward. His beak prepared for the Peck as he aimed between the two large, red dots on the otherwise black lower body of the Kabuto. The Pokémon fired a third Water Gun, but Spearow changed his course.

"_Sorry kid, it surprised me the first time but is not that hard to predict once you know what's coming."_

"_A-Amazing, mister. Y-You are really smart." _The Kabuto said.

Spearow flinched at the compliment and sped forward, hitting with Peck. Unfortunately, Brock had figured out his intentions, and right before the hit connected, he told Kabuto to lower his head. The hit landed on the harder shell… Where Spearow noticed two black dots.

"_Shit, he has eyes on the back of his…"_ Kabuto turned around, the Water Gun already charged, firing square at Spearow. The Tiny Bird Pokémon rolled back again, before going back to the offensive. _"Still better than Geodude. At least this one has a clear weak spot."_

Their original plan against Geodude – the one Pokémon they were sure would have been on Brock's team – had been to send out Charmander and have him take care of it and of whatever came next, with Spearow at best handling support by tagging in for a bit.

"_Lucky us the boss was smart enough to check that dex thingy. The water could have done a number with Flametail."_ He dodged the next blow of Water Gun and dove forward.

"Fury Attack! He can only fire Water Gun from the lower body, so you should be ok as long as you stay offensive!" Shouted Draconix.

The Flying-Type nodded and prepared his beak. Kabuto immediately lowered his head, but Spearow was undeterred, attacking anyway the shell. "_No matter how good he is, there must be a hole in his defenses." _He then noticed his legs, outstretched to hold up the Pokémon.

"_Yes…"_ He hit with two consecutive Pecks the legs, and as expected the Kabuto squinted and tried to run back. Draconix and Spearow grinned together.

"Focus on the legs, don't let him get away." Draconix shouted.

"_No need to tell me boss."_ He said, darting forward with another Fury Attack.

"Direct mode!" Shouted Brock "Go for Scratch and then dry him up."

"_Do what?" _Spearow was about to ask, when Kabuto scratched with one of his short limbs. Spearow furrowed, unsure of what was the Gym Leader plan but dodging… and then realized his mistake as four shining vines of energy exploded from Kabuto's face and touched him, sucking away his energy.

"Absorb?" Draconix asked "Damn, but… Spearow, it's your chance, go for the offensive too."

"_No need to tell me boss. Again."_ He said, flying forward, directly into the Absorb. The attack hit the soft face of the Kabuto, still showing, and hit. Kabuto moved back in pain, and Spearow moved forward… only for the Pokémon to fire a Water Gun at point blank. Spearow was sent back, rolling on the ground, but managed to get up again.

"Press him and watch out for Absorb!" Draconix shouted.

"Fire Water Gun when he is far off, and if he gets past you hit with Absorb." Brock said on his side.

"_Alright boss." _Spearow said, taking flight once more "_One last dance kid."_

"_Y-Yes sir… so cool…" _The other Pokémon murmured, in awe. Spearow ignored him and flew forward. He saw the Water Gun coming and dodged left, then moved up to dodge a second shot. When he got close, the water stopped and instead the tendrils of Absorb darted out. Spearow dodged three and then Pecked on the face the Kabuto. The Pokémon surprisingly did not move back, instead throwing his fourth energy tendril forward. Spearow moved away at the last second, hitting the ground with his foot to give himself more sprint, somehow making the Absorb miss by an inch. And then the Fury Attack started.

Kabuto fell to the ground, unconscious for the many hits, and Brock called him back. "Nice show out there." He heard Brock say. Then the trainer took out a second Poké Ball.

Spearow looked in horror as what looked to be a 30 feet tall rock snake emerged from the Poké Ball. "_Well, that's unexpected."_ He thought. The Onix roared his challenge.

Externally, Draconix did his best poker face. Internally unfortunately he was screaming. They knew Onix was Brock's signature Pokémon, but from that to using it on a newbie was a pretty big jump. He glanced briefly at the spectator seats, were Raziel was sitting _"I don't know if I am sad or happy they didn't tell me."_ Considering how hard he had taken his defeat against a Geodude, he might have still been training out there otherwise.

He looked at the matter at hand. Spearow for now was still on the field, although pretty damaged by his fight with that oddly combative Kabuto.

"Go for Peck and Fury Attack all over his body, and watch out for his attacks. Even if you can't take him down, the more damage the better."

Spearow obeyed. The enemy's tail flung upwards, but Spearow could easily dodge such a big target, and managed to land a couple Pecks and a Fury Attack, although the Onix was barely disturbed by them. Then the tail hit the ground, creating a rain of rock that flew toward Spearow. The Flying type did his best but was hit by one of them and fell. Before he could hit the ground, Draconix called him back.

"Nice show out there." Draconix said "Now, let's see if we were right." And he sent out Charmander.

The Fire-Type landed in the middle of the Arena and looked up, and then higher, until he finally found the face of the Onix, about twenty feet from him. "_So, how it the weather up there?"_

"_Boring when you get asked for a hundred times."_

"_Yeah, I should have guessed. Sorry."_

"_No problem. Shall we begin now?"_ The Onix asked, as his trainer gave the order to use his tail for Rock Throw.

Draconix and Charmander acted together "Ember on it and then jump!" The trainer said, as Charmander was preparing to do so. He fired the Ember, which landed on the rocks, and then jumped, avoiding the blunt of the attack by inches.

"Now, Breaking Claws!" Draconix shouted. Charmander run forward and immediately hit with Scratch… leaving deep claw marks on the rocks on Onix body.

"What?" Brock said, surprised.

"_What?"_ Onix asked.

Charmander grinned and run forward using their surprise to hit more with his new move, leaving deep marks all over the Onix body. The Pokémon roared for the sudden damage.

Draconix thought back on their training. At first, it was hard to figure out what Spearow wanted to show him by making Charmander scratch the rock over and over, until he had figured it out: he wanted to show Scratch could damage the surface. A better attack could crack it open, and somehow Spearow seemed convinced said attack existed.

They had spent the rest of the day, until after dark, to figure out a way to add extra damage. Charmander had fought, and won, with only Scratch. Then they had gone back to the rock. Focus on the sensation of tearing through the stone. Go back to train. Go to the rock. Focus on it. Train. Go to the rock. Focus.

Until something had happened. Where before Scratch would only leave a mark, it was now opening gaps in the stone, breaking it. "_Is not Scratch anymore."_ Draconix had said "_Nor is it a superior Normal-type move. This is… different. I'll call it Breaking Claws and send the info to the Professor. Maybe he can figure it out."_

And now, it was paying off, as the rocks broke one after another.

"It's working!" He shouted, "Dodge the Rock Throw, then Ember!"

Draconix nodded as Charmander did so. The Rock Throw passed over his head as he ducked to dodge, and he immediately aimed Ember at the body of the Onix.

Draconix looked as Onix moved back, noting the Ember had done more damage "_I wonder if that means some type of attacks work better than others."_ He thought, as Charmander darted forward to use more Breaking Claws. He heard the sound of… metal scraping on rock, it seemed. _"And I also wonder why Breaking Claws makes that sound. Good for us Charmander could get the hang of it though."_

"That's…"

"Impossible." Said Raziel.

"Incredible." Said the journalist, suddenly interested in the fight. He had made some comments on the battle between Spearow and Kabuto, mostly to comment on how handy the Pokédex seemed to be, but now the field had his full attention.

"That's not a Scratch." Raziel continued "And is not any normal move I know. I can't think of anything like it."

"I can." The journalist said "I saw it once in Johto. There is this girl called Jasmine, with an unspecialized Gym. Her Onix evolved in what they call a Steelix, and it can use a move she calls Steel Tail. She uses it to defeat Rock-Types."

"Isn't that TM-23 of series 2, the one that is only released in Johto as part of the Gym Leader collection?" Raziel asked.

"Yup. They made it by taking data from them, and say they are not sure if it's safe, so the release in Johto back then was more of a testing." The man replied, without missing a single beat of the fight. "Apparently it works, but until Professor Elm or Oak don't publish more information, we can't really know much more. I heard from good intel that that's what Professor Elm is focusing on."

"So there are at least two moves we know now that seem able to break rocks… I guess that's a pattern."

"Yup." The journalist said "I think I might want an interview with your friend after all."

"_Damn that hurts." _Onix said.

"_Really sorry." _Charmander said _"But I was taught to never hold back." _And he used his Breaking Claws again.

"_You had a pretty good teacher." _Onix replied swinging his tail around, Charmander jumping back and ducking to avoid the blow. He then lunged forward, hitting him with Ember.

Brock shouted a command, a single word the Lizard Pokémon and Onix nodded, disappearing underground.

"_Shit, it was Dig." _He said, then reflexively covered his mouth. Was he picking up some colorful vocabulary from Spearow? His breeder's Charizard would have…

"Charmander, jump left, now!" His trainer shouted. Charmander regained his focus and tried to, but he was too late. He was hit by the emerging Onix and rolled back, clenching his teeth as he landed. He got back up and with a shriek jumped to the side, right on time to avoid a rock thrown in his direction.

'_Alright, that was dangerous, back on the offensive.'_ He thought, jumping forward. Onix disappeared again underground.

This time, Charmander did not get distracted. He could feel the slight vibration coming from under his feet. Weak, then stronger, then stronger… He jumped away, and a second later Onix emerged in the point where he was. He smiled and fired an Ember, then attacked with his Breaking Claws. Onix roared in pain, and then fell to the ground.

Charmander smiled, then there was a flash of light.

"It's… Evolving!" Draconix shouted, a full smile replacing his victorious grin.

Under the eyes of everyone on the field and in the seats above, the shape of Charmander grew taller, a horn sprouted on the back of his head, and his tiny claws sharpened, his paws growing larger. Draconix run to him as a surprised Charmeleon looked at his newfound claws and height.

The Pokémon smiled back, jumping in joy. And then Brock laughed, clapping his hand "Bravo, bravo challenger. Not only you beat my Rock-Solid defense at a disadvantage, but your Pokémon evolves at your first Gym. How is that for a successful day?" He took out the badge as he walked closer "This wasn't the most spectacular fight I have had these days, but it certainly was one of the most satisfying for who took up my Gym. So here, take it as your rightful prize."

Draconix grabbed the badge. He could hear Raziel clapping on the seats, but he didn't even turn around, too busy looking at a cheering Charmeleon. Spearow, who apparently now was feeling better, came out of the Ball, flying to him.

Draconix feared his mouth would break from his smile overstretching.

"_You are taller." _Spearow noted.

"_I… I guess I am." _Charmeleon replied _"I also feel… Stronger."_

"_Well, I would expect that much. After all, you just evolved." _Spearow added. He examined him, puzzled _"So what purpose does the horn serve exactly?"_

"_No idea."_ Charmeleon said, bending his head backward. He then quickly moved it back up "_Feels heavy though. Might take a while to adjust to it."_

"_I am sure you will get used to it fast. Fearow always said the hardest part of evolving was learning to deal with the new stuff that pops around. Bigger wings, longer beak…"_

Charmeleon nodded _"Charizard always said the weirdest thing are the wings on your back. But for now, all I have seems to be a straight upgrade."_

"_And those claws will come in handy to use that move of yours."_

Charmeleon nodded _"By the way, you never told me how you were so sure it would work."_

Spearow grinned – again, Charmeleon was not sure how – before answering _"Because I saw that same thing once before. We were attacked by a Skarmory, something about invading his territory, while migrating in Johto. And his claws were tearing apart rocks while fighting Fearow."_

"… _That was seriously it. Your super confidence in us winning came from seeing another Pokémon do that once before."_

Spearow nodded _"And it worked, didn't it?"_

"_That's not the… Know what? Whatever. We won, and now I got this cool new move to show off. Thanks Spearow."_

"_Don't mention it."_

"That was seriously impressive. I have a League Challenge runner up that is supposed to show up today, so I can't leave now, but could you see if your friend is interested in a brief interview later today?"

Raziel thought about it for a second "Sure, I guess."

The man smiled and took out a business card. "Here, there's my number on it. I can feel this might be big for the future of Pokémon Battling, and if I talk about it first…" He started giggling, before calming himself.

Raziel read the name on the business card "_James Flint, Kanto Battling Monthly Magazine… Well, I guess I can always ask Draconix, he can say no if he doesn't want to."_ He thought, standing up. _"And anyway I am also curious about what's going on."_


	13. Chapter 12: Butterflies and eggs

Darken sighed looking at the two teleportation pads in front of him. One would take him to the Gym Leader, the other to another room. At least according to the sign on the wall. "_Well, not much of a point in thinking about it, this is just luck."_ He thought, then turned to Free "So, which one do you think is the right one pal?"

The Butterfree circled above both for a second before pointing to the left one. He moved forward, and chose the one on the left. A moment later, him and Free were looking at a large arena, with nothing unusual. A normal floor painted with various shades of purple, and the shape of a large Poké Ball in the center. The surrounding seats were empty, except for…

"Copy?" He asked, noticing the girl on the row closest to the edge of the arena "What are you doing here?"

"Well, someone chose to not call me, and I am deeply offended, so I decided to come and root for the Gym Leader." She said, with a smug look on her face.

"But wasn't your theater course entrance today?" He asked, surprised.

"About six hours ago, Dumbken. It doesn't take that long to make it from Vermilion on a car." She said. "I have been here for twenty minutes."

"And how did you know I was going to challenge the Gym Leader today?" He continued.

"I told her." A voice from the other side of the arena said. A young man with light blue hair and eyes of the same color came forward, smiling "You didn't think I would let my little cousin's best friend challenge me without her watching."

"Cosmo!" Copycat shouted, grinning "Pummel Dumbken for me, he really deserves it."

Darken looked at him. He knew Cosmo a little, but certainly not the kind of close friendship he had with Copycat. The fact he knew both who he was and to call Copy was really surprising. "Well, bronze medalist, I suppose our two v two can start whenever you want."

Darken shrugged and looked at Copycat "Did you seriously tell him I also got third place in the Saffron Academy practical?"

She curled her lips in a knowing smile "Maybeeee…"

Darken wanted to be offended, but he couldn't with Copycat. They had been friends for too long. "You know, this makes our 'final' goodbye a lot weirder."

"Oh, shut it. It wasn't final anyway." She replied, but this time she was clearly a bit embarrassed.

"If you two are done talking, I'd like to get this challenge done." Cosmo said. Darken nodded and moved forward. Cosmo had become the Gym Leader of Saffron less than two years before, when Sabrina – his master and fiancée - had joined the Elite Four of Kanto after the Kanto-Johto split.

He immediately began sending out his Drowzee. Darken sent out Tuffball. The Jigglypuff jabbed midair, smiling.

"_Hello missy. You look like you have some sweat dreams." _Drowzee said with a calm, careful demeanor _"I hope you don't take a defeat too badly."_

"_Oh don't worry." _Tuffball replied, with a grin "_I will win, so you won't find out."_ Drowzee's surprise at the retort fueled her, as she moved forward "_Come on tough guy, put up some brave face and let me have some fun, would ya? I can't stand wimps."_

Drowzee collected himself and prepared "_Fine. Let's see who shall win this."_

The Gym Leader gave the start and Tuffball jumped forward, aiming at the chin of the Psychic type with a Pound. The Pokémon struggled back at the hit, then answered with an Hypnosis, his fingers moving up and down trying to attract the attention of the Normal type.

"Don't look at him and attack!" Her trainer shouted. She nodded and jumped forward, her firmly on the ground, to see the enemy's feet and figure out his position.

And in that moment she was picked up by some energy and thrown against the wall, to then fall to the ground. '_Alright then. He has Confusion.'_ She thought, standing up. That wasn't that big of a surprise, but Confusion… '_That was a seriously busted move for early game.' _She jumped left '_Luckily, I know what to do.'_

"Ok Tuffball, keep a distance." The Jigglypuff nodded and begun to slowly move around the Drowzee. As Free had shown her, the weakness of a telekinetic moves like Confusion was the range. If she kept the distance, she would not be affected.

Or that was the theory until Drowzee begun to levitate and dove towards her at what looked like Mach speed. She took a second to realize what was going on and by then she had been headbutted into the wall again. "_Oh, he can use Confusion to throw himself around too. Excellent. Great."_ She jumped out of the circle-shaped hole in the wall and yelped, jumping to the side as another headbutting Drowzee missile dove towards her. She run, building up distance.

"Right, Tuffball, he can't hit you if he is asleep, go for the Sing!" Darken shouted. She nodded. Would have preferred to Pound him into oblivion, but better a sneaky victory than a humiliating defeat. She took a deep breath and begun singing, while running.

"_Just a young gun, with a quick fuse…" _She sang as she run, and she noticed Drowzee get dizzy "_I was uptight, wanna let loose…" _Drowzee rolled on the ground now, trying to land a Confusion. She felt herself getting thrown against a wall, but did not stop "_I was dreaming of bigger things and wanna leave my own life behind…" _The Drowzee fell asleep, and the Jigglypuff sighed in relief. Then she smiled _"And now let's see if we can beat the shit out of this guy before he wakes up."_

At the same time, as she moved, Darken shouted "Now go, before he wakes up! Pound, pound, pound!"

She darted forward, and punched him square in the face, throwing the sleeping tapir around like a ball. He landed against the wall and she didn't skip a single second to stop. She run forward, with a series of Pounds aimed square at the face and chest of his opponent, until he just disappeared.

"Quite the brute of a Jigglypuff you found." Cosmo said, calling back the unconscious Drowzee.

"It's kind of a needed trait, to fight a Pokémon that can throw her against a wall from fifteen feet away."

"Come on, it was only ten." Cosmo replied, before sending out Exeggcute. The five egg-seeds were short, a few inches shorter than Jigglypuff, who wasn't that tall to begin with.

"Alright Jigglypuff, you ok?"

Jigglypuff raised her arm in what Darken took as an affirmative, and the battle resumed.

Jigglypuff skipped forward, pounding straight into one of the five seeds. To her surprise, it simply took the hit and flew off, landing on the floor on the edge of the arena. She chose to ignore it and pounded ahead, one attack after another.

"_This is weird…" _She thought, as one after another the remaining seeds flew off after the hit, landing on various point of the arena floor.

"_So, a Jigglypuff." _The remaining one, the one that actually tanked her blow, said "_I fight your kind quite often around here."_

"_Oh, really? And what do you think?"_

"_That you all do the same. Pound, Pound, and completely ignore Confusion's reach."_

"_What do you mean ignore Confus…" _Then she realized, as the eyes of all the eggs shined as one.

"Shit." Darken said as Jigglypuff flew off against a wall, only to get picked up by the closest Exeggcute seed and thrown away.

"What? What's going on?" Copycat asked from her seat. Darken took notice of the fact that she wasn't even seated anymore, instead leaning toward the arena.

"He is using the various seeds as beacon to expand the reach of Confusion. Basically, now the entire field is covered by one of the heads." Darken said, more to himself than as a reply.

"… That's not good."

"Nope." Darken replied, as Jigglypuff finally landed, defeated. He called her back and nodded "Good show out there." He said, then sent out Free. The Butterfree looked at the heads and then at him, puzzled "Watch out for Confusion, and aim for the main head. If he goes down, everyone else will follow."

Free nodded and dove forward.

Free had spent a long time with Darken. The boy had owned him as a pet since two years before, when he was still a Caterpie. The Pokémon had grown up with him, and learned a lot. Which included, all Darken knew of Exeggcute.

"_Right, the main head…" _He looked at the seed, holding the center of the field. He flew up, outside of the reach of the various egg-seeds, and tried to devise a plan. He could see Darken was doing the same. "_Watch out for Confusion is nice and all, but as a fellow Confusion user I know that's not easy."_

"Free, use Confusion. You get me?" Darken shouted. The Bug-type thought about it for a second then nodded.

"_Of course, that might work. Excellent thinking Darken." _He used Confusion and put the telekinetic energy around himself, then dove down. He felt the energy of the enemy Confusion pound him to the sides, and responded in kind. He felt the pressure of his telekinetic wave crashing against the enemy one, almost like his thoughts and the enemy's were clashing. The two waves broke, leaving him free to close on his opponent.

"Gust!" Shouted Darken. The seed-egg was thrown off by the sudden wind, and rolled on the ground, before standing up.

Free closed the distance and threw a Confusion just in time to block the enemy one. "_If I get it once, I am done. The other ones will keep picking me up and throwing me around."_ He thought carefully, then continued with a second Gust. The Exeggcute rolled off, and then Cosmo gave an order.

"Free, watch out to your back!"

The Pokémon ducked reflexively, but not fast enough. A spherical object landed on his head and made him roll off, as more flew around him. With a surprise, he noticed the other seeds were now back around the main one, the Exeggcute complete again. "_Ah, he was calling them back. Did that count as a Barrage?" _He wondered. Judging by the fact the back of his head hurt, he was ready to say yes.

"Move to the offensive! It's all or nothing now!" Darken shouted, and as usual Free found himself agreeing. The Exeggcute had recalled everything to win, and it was almost impossible for him to get dispersed again, which meant it was likely aiming to end the fight in one straw.

"_All together!" _The five shouted as Free lunged forward, surprising him. The other head had not talked before. He ignored it and felt the pressure of Confusion, to which he responded with his own. To his surprise, he felt a much stronger resistance. "_Of course. They are working together now. Damn." _He rolled back, outside of their collective reach. He needed a plan "_Dove in and finish it in one blow. They likely are almost done. The question is… can I weaken Confusion enough to hit them?"_

He looked at Darken, who just nodded. He knew the young Trainer trusted him. "_Always putting me through some stuff…" _He thought with a smile before diving in. The two Confusion clashed again, and Free as expected felt his own fail to block the attack. It had however dampened the telekinetic wave, which rolled him. He felt himself pushed back, but resisted and used Gust. The wind stroke away the Exeggcute, making it land on a wall and then on the ground, defeated.

Darken sighed in relief. That had been close. Had the Confusion from Butterfree not countered most of Exeggcute's, he would have probably lost there.

"That was a nice fight." Said the Gym Leader, walking up to him "I'll hand it to you, tanking Confusion with Confusion is a bold move. How did you come up with it?"

"I trained with Free on using Confusion. We figured out there had to be something to block it." Darken explained.

"Well, that's an easy enough explanation." Said Cosmo "Anyway, here is your medal." He said, showing the Marsh Badge. Despite the name, the badge was actually a golden circle, perfectly shaped. Darken had yet to figure out why the Psychic Gym gave away the Swamp Badge and the Poison Gym the Soul Badge. Probably some tradition dating back to the history of the early Kanto League.

"Thank you, Cosmo." He replied, taking it. The Badge felt light in his hand, but he knew how important it was. It was his first step towards the League.

In that moment, someone tackled him, and he found himself in Copycat's embrace. "You were great out there!" She shouted.

"Uh, didn't you say you would root for the Gym Leader?" Darken asked.

Copycat chuckled "Yeah well, I can change my mind."

The two laughed, and Cosmo coughed "Sorry to interrupt the buddy chitchat, but I need to share some words with Darken as a Gym Leader." Copycat pouted but let Darken go. "First of all, congratulations. This was an important first step on your League Challenge. As for the rest… Well, I really just want to say good luck and have fun. The Gym Challenge is great and being a Trainer is an hard but rewarding life. I hope to see you again at the League." He concluded, smiling. "That was it for the official congratulations. As for the congratulations as your friend's cousin… That was great. Quite the fight from a newbie. Keep up the good work."

Darken smiled, blushing at the compliments, but nodded. "Again, thank you for everything Cosmo." He said.

"Thank you for the fight." The Gym Leader replied, and gave him a pat on the back "Have fun in your challenge."

He nodded, and then both him and Copycat walked out of the Gym. "_I did it." _He thought _"I won…" _And he felt unthinkably happy.


	14. Chapter 13: A Rocky Relationship

Giuls had been walking the entire day, but in reality, she hadn't made as much progress as she had hoped to. The road for Mount Moon was well known for usually taking two or three days. "_Unless that someone is Blue. That ball of arrogance can probably make it in a day through sheer stubbornness. I bet he is looking at Cerulean right now._" If she had to guess, Blue's plan was to take on his first two gyms by gaining as much advantage on them as possible, then train his team up to a certain standard, and finally proceed again. It was the kind of thing he would do.

She looked up at the sky. The sun was slowly dropping below the horizon. Thanks to the rocky formations around Mount Moon, the sun was going to disappear a lot sooner than it had done before. She wondered whether it was a good idea to set up camp or if the better choice was continuing to the Trainer's House built on the road. She checked her phone, the battery still holding. "_I still have time, worst case scenario we can set it up at night_." She thought _"I'd rather train a bit longer, me and Bulbasaur really need it."_

Her relationship with the Grass and Poison-type was a bit better now, but far from ideal. Especially when Bulbasaur felt her enemy was beneath her. It was almost impossible to make her listen to the trainer in that case. "_I wonder if things will get to a point where she learns looking down on some opponent can cost her the match."_ The only change she had noticed in her starter so far, besides a willingness to at least listen to her in a serious situation, had been a much better control of her surroundings. She clearly did not want to repeat her previous mistake and get defeated. _"Honestly it is almost scary how well she has learned that lesson. She is seriously talented or one of the smartest Pokémon I know of."_

She turned to her. The Pokémon was using what Giuls at this point was considering to call her new battle style. Apparently, Bulbasaur had decided her vines were by far her best quality, so she was using them for everything. In her current fight with a group of Nidoran, three males and a female, plus another female already defeated, she was using the branches of a few trees to attach her left Vine Whip and dodge the dangerous Pecks of her opponents, to then hit them or bind them with the right. _"That's the other thing she has learned, now that I think about it. And it isn't good."_ She thought, shaking her head. Those movements had been good against the Geodude and especially the Onix, but now she was really abusing it. One thing was to use it once like in the Gym to get the jump on an unsuspecting Pokémon, but if she used it so often, her enemy was going to predict it without any issue. "_Also, if she evolves, that might not be a sustainable fighting style, unless I am really underestimating the strength of a Venusaur's vines."_

She observed the last Nidoran getting captured in the lag and raised up only to then slam on the ground, defeated, and sighed. "_How do I explain her she is too easy to read when all those Pokémon fail to do that? I don't want to have to wait for another defeat."_ She called back the starter, that released herself from the branch she was currently hanging from and started walking happily towards her. "It was a good fight." She said "But you should try to use less Vine Whip and more other moves too. You have recently released the Powders, but I never see you using any of those in battle."

Bulbasaur scoffed and started looking for more opponents. Any hope Giuls had of getting her to understand she was wrong the easy way was dashed immediately. "_Dammit, why did my starter have to be an absolute b…"_

"Hello!" A voice cried out, interrupting her thought. "Hello! Anyone can help?!" The voice repeated, louder. She figured out it was coming from the south, in an area of grass and rocks with just a few trees. She started walking in that direction.

She put her hands around her mouth, raised her head to the sky and called while walking "Hello? Who is there? I can here y…oooooh!" She screamed, her feet landing on nothing. With a cry she started to fall downhill until she hit the ground.

"Uhm, hello." The voice said, now closer and not as loud. She looked up to see a man that by the attire looked like some sort of researcher, with a long lab coat and a pair of small round glasses. His head was covered by an helmet meant to likely protect from any falling debris, short brown hair visible on the side. She really wished she had one too right now.

"What happened?" She asked, as the man extended his hand to help her stand up.

"I fear, my dear, you might find yourself in the same situation I am. Namely, you fell into this hole me and my team excavated." Giuls looked around, noticing quickly a number of things. One, she was on the side of a very large ditch, about sixty feet wide, that judging by various item was being used to study something. Second, the something in question was a series of large rocks, scattered throughout the field. Third, the ditch was about twenty feet deep, and there didn't seem to be any stairs to get out.

"So, uh, I have several questions, the most important being in order who are you, why did you dig a ditch here and how did you get trapped in it?"

"Ah yes, it is a quite fascinating tale my dear. I am Professor Cozmo, from the beautiful region of Hoenn, to the south-west." The man said proudly "I am a researcher mainly interested in the greatest mysteries of the universe: Are we alone? What's outside of our planet? Are the legends of Pokémon coming from outer space true?" He did a dramatic spin as he pointed to the large rocks "And this, is one of the many keys to our understanding of such questions. Those are pure meteorites that have landed here, in the territory around Mount Moon, hundreds of millennia, or even millions of years ago."

"_That's a big difference in estimation."_ Giuls thought.

"And I am going to discover what carried them all here."

"… Gravity?"

The Professor scoffed "That's just the easy explanation. No, I believe those meteorites to have been none other than the vessels that allowed the ancestors of Clefairy to come to our own planet." He said, proudly beating his chest with a fist "I truly believe this to be the first proof of the existence of space-faring Pokémon."

Giuls looked at the meteorites. They were quite big, but she could not imagine that many Pokémon to ride on it, let alone the entirety of the Clefairy species. "_Yeah I am done talking with the crazy man stuck in a hole." _"Uhm, this is all interesting, but could we discuss the real problem, which is how we get out."

"Ah yes, my dear, of course." He said, tapping his nose "You see, I had an… altercation with my team, who doesn't seem too eager to wait any longer before their payment. That something as simple as money could get in the way of my research is such an insult…"

"Right, and?"

"And they have refused to come here with me today. Of course, I made it back alone, I can't really let my precious specimens unguarded. Unfortunately, the stairs broke" He said pointing to a side of the cliff, where Giuls noticed what looked like the remains of a ladder "And so I found myself stuck. Then I heard someone talking faintly and tried to call for help. How unfortunate you fell too! You should watch where you go."

"_I was distracted by someone asking for help!"_ She thought, but said nothing "So, we don't really have any way to get out? Any Pokémon in your team?"

"Unfortunately, at the end of my altercation with my research team I kind of stormed out of the lab, forgetting my Poké Ball behind. Otherwise I could have just flown outside with the help of my Swellow."

Giuls felt a pit forming in her stomach at the mere thought of flying, but then calmed herself. "Right. Of course." She thought "Well, I only have one Pokémon. Bulbasaur!" She started shouting "Can you hear me! Bulbasaur! Please!"

Bulbasaur had not noticed her trainer disappearance at first, merely thinking she had left to take a few steps. '_Of course, she finally understands I am more than capable of faring on my own, without her constant watch. About time. How dare she criticize my Vines, when it's thanks to those if she won that precious badge of hers.'_ She thought back at the fight, the day before. She had realized that the tomboy suggestions in battle could be useful now. Still, she should have stayed out of her training. She clearly didn't understand her abilities were more than enough to fight any normal opponent.

She only took notice of the prolonged absence when she started to feel a bit tired, after five or so fights against some wild Pokémon. Normally, the tomboy wouldn't have waited that long to check on her. Not that she needed it of course, it would have just been nice on her. "_Where did she go? Is she ignoring me?"_

She went back to where she had last seen her, near the point where the route branched out in a plain of rocks. That was when she heard the faint call.

"Bulbasaur! Bulbasaur!" It was clearly the tomboy voice. She followed it, noticing that it curiously seemed to come from under the horizon. She soon realized why when in fron of her appeared a large dug out, clearly made by humans and Pokémon rather than nature.

"Oh, here you are!" The girl said, smiling "We need your help." She said, pointing to the man near her." Bulbasaur immediately understood, they were both stuck in there. "Think you can carry us up with your vines?"

"Even if it's only her, I can give her a rope and then you can pull me up together." The man near her added.

Bulbasaur scoffed, and was about to use her Vine to pick up the girl, when an idea crossed her mind. She grinned _"Oh, so now I should use my vines. They aren't something I should keep a secret."_ She grinned even more. _"Let's hear that from you and then I will pick you up."_

Giuls waited, eagerly. And waited. And waited. "Uh, Bulbasaur?" She asked the saurian Pokémon on top of the ditch. The Grass-type simply continued to look at her.

"Uh, is this normal?" Professor Cozmo asked "Perhaps she did not understand you?"

Giuls looked at her "No I think she… Oh my Arceus ARE YOU FOR REAL?!" She shouted. Bulbasaur simply snickered. _"Yes, she is definitely for real."_ "Seriously Bulbasaur? Seriously? I just gave you a suggestion, you know?"

The Pokémon continued to look at her, a smug look forming on her face. Giuls clenched her fist.

"So, what's the issue here?" Cozmo asked.

"It appears my Bulbasaur expects me to apologize for a simple comment I made on her current fighting style, which uses a lot Vine Whip."

"Ah I see. Can you do that?" The Professor asked.

"No, I won't! It was a completely justified comment. She has been using Vine Whip for the entire day only because it worked in the Gym, even when she had openings to use other moves. She needs to listen to me when I give a suggestion, we are trainer and starter."

Bulbasaur scoffed. Loudly this time. The researcher turned to Giuls "My dear, I understand the many, many issues you might have right now, but I believe it would be better for you to solve them… outside the hole?"

"If I take that back, Bulbasaur will think she can do whatever she wants. I am not going to do it. Come on Bulbasaur, let us get out of here." Giuls replied. In response, Bulbasaur sit down and kept looking at her. Giuls felt she had reached the boiling point "Fine then, sit there and wait forever an apology you don't deserve that will never come!" And she walked off, to the other side of the ditch, where she sit down with her arms crossed.

Cozmo looked up to the Bulbasaur "Soooo, no chance at least I can get out?" Bulbasaur shook her head and pointed with a Vine at Giuls.

"Oh, you can only carry her out." He said. Bulbasaur nodded.

Giuls looked at Cozmo walking towards her. "Is there any way I can convince you to just apologize?" He asked.

"As I said, we are trainer and starter. She was willing to listen to me yesterday at the Gym, she should listen to me here as well. I haven't said anything but nice things to her the past few days, and this is what I get in return?" Giuls sighed "And here I thought our relationship was getting better…"

Cozmo sighed in turn and sit down near the young trainer. "So, since we are stuck here, want to learn something at least?"

Giuls sighed again "Sure, sure, what is it? Something on the Clefairy from Outer Space again?"

"I sense some undeserved sarcasm in that reply, but no, I can only talk so much about that hypothesis without getting technical. No, what I want to talk about is my other voyages. You know, I have been a researcher on Pokémon meteorites for sixteen years now. While I started around the Meteor Falls in my hometown, I have visited Unova, Sinnoh, Alola and the Sevii Islands. So, if you want, I can tell you some stuff I saw there."

"I would be glad." Giuls said. _"Maybe he isn't that bad after all."_

'_She still hasn't apologized.' _Bulbasaur thought, looking at her trainer. At first, it had been more of a joke than a real request honestly. She had expected the girl to just feign to be sorry and then actually reprimand her. Instead, she had held her ground and left. '_That's actually quite admirable.'_. The tomboy was now talking with the Professor, and he was trying his best to explain what some space rock or another looked like.

Bulbasaur decided to walk closer to her, around the cliff. Moving closer, she could hear clearly what the man was saying. "See, access to the Giant Chasm itself is closed, because it is believed to be the lair of some Legendary. But studying the surrounding area of impact was still incredibly important." He said "In fact, I should have it here…" He walked up to search in his backpack for something, until he turned around showing a round stone "This is what I believe to be a fragment of the same meteorite that according to legends brought the Great Dragon of Unova down to Earth." He said. Looking at it, Bulbasaur did not see anything different. It looked like other stones he had seen. But it was clear the scientist had put a lot of thought into it.

"Here, feel free to touch it. As long as you don't break it, it's more than safe." He said. Giuls smiled and took it in her hand. And then there was a white light. They both looked shocked for a second, before the fragment stopped glowing and returned to its normal behavior. Giuls let the piece go, feeling something coming up her arm, like the crawling of ants. She did not see anything, but the sensation remained until the shoulder before dissipating.

"What was that." She said "What was that?" She asked, turning to the Professor, who looked as dumbfounded as her. The man took the stone from the ground, examining it carefully "That's… fascinating, truly fascinating. It never reacted in such a way, neither to me nor to my assistants. I also showed it to other people, and yet none triggered it. Is your arm and hand ok?"

Giuls checked it, but there were no signs of any damage. "It felt… weird, for a moment. But it's gone now."

Cozmo nodded "Yes, this is truly an interesting discovery. This Meteorite is comparatively recent, so is it possible it contains some form of energy? Is it possible the claims on the existence of energy in the Meteorites from all around the world might be true? Professor Alden of Hoenn claims ruins show proof of ancient worship of meteors in Hoenn and Professor Lund claims there is some sort of use to them that relates to Legendary Pokémon Deoxys, and Professor Oak's research shows similar behavior from Clefairy, although he believes this is for the origin of the Moon Stone, and of course there is the legend of the Dragon of Unova, directly linked to the Meteorite in question… Truly fascinating!" He suddenly turned to Giuls "My dear, you have just stumbled upon what might be a world changing discovery if we can repeat the process. Would you consider touching it again?"

Giuls uncertainly touched it, but nothing happened. The stone remained exactly the same. Professor Cozmo looked puzzled for a second "Truly a pity, yes. BUT, we have nonetheless seen first hand something worth noting down, if only I could leave this hole…" Giuls meanwhile walked up to the other meteors, and touched one. There was no reaction. Professor Cozmo shook his head "Yes, it truly appears this reaction was one of a kind, unfortunate. I have to wonder if it might have to do with the type of meteorite… Say, you are not from Unova are you?"

"No sir, my father's family is from Kanto, my mother's is from Hoenn." She said.

"I see… well, not much of a point in making random consideration in a hole. I will examine this stone further later, but for now…" He looked up "Pardon me, miss Bulbasaur, would you be so kind as to allow miss…" He looked back at Giuls "Oh dear, I seem to not know your name my dear."

"I am Giuls. Giuls Touki." She explained.

"I see. So, would you allow her to come up and help me out? We really need to get out." He said, turning back to Bulbasaur.

Bulbasaur looked at Giuls. "I am still not apologizing for something I said." She said. The Pokémon sighed, but surprisingly let the Vine come down and allowed the girl to make it up. "Thanks." Giuls said once she made it on top, with a rope on her back to pull up Professor Cozmo "But please, don't do it ever again." She stopped for a second "I mean leaving me stuck in a hole, not helping me."

Bulbasaur grinned in what Giuls understood as a 'perhaps' and then Giuls prepared the rope, tying it to a nearby tree for good measure. The Professor for a second left to look for something near the PC, then run to the rope and pulled himself up with Giuls' help. "Well thank you, my dear." He said "Today you showed me something truly amazing, so here is a little gift for you." He showed her another stone "This is a Moon Stone, like the one we mentioned before. It allows some Pokémon to evolve. I am not sure if you will ever need it, but please keep it. Is not really interesting for me anyway, the formation of Moon Stones around meteoric craters is mostly well understood."

Giuls took the stone, smiling "Thank you, Professor."

"Don't even mention it my dear. And if you ever are in Hoenn, feel free to come around my laboratory in Fallarbor."

"For sure Professor." She replied, though she wasn't sure she would ever do that. She didn't plan to visit Hoenn any time soon.

"Well then, I must leave now, it's quite late." He said pointing at the sky. That was when Giuls realized the sun had completely disappeared behind the cliffs, and the only light left was becoming dimmer, with stars already showing up. "Good luck with your journey." He said, then looked at Bulbasaur, and winked "And good luck with her. She is quite the stubborn girl." And saying so he left, with Bulbasaur scoffing again.

Giuls looked at her right hand, the one that had touched the meteorite, but there were no signs on it. "I wonder what that was…" She said, while walking around the hole. Then she looked at Bulbasaur "Well, it was certainly a long day. Shall we prepare camp?" She asked. Bulbasaur nodded, and together they walked away. Giuls couldn't help but keep glancing at her hand.


	15. Chapter 14:Friends, Rival, Acquaintances

"So this guy wants an interview with me?" Draconix asked, sitting at a table in the Pokémon Center lobby, drinking some cold tea.

"Yeah, sounds like that." Raziel replied "He says your move is quite amazing and thinks it could be related to Jasmine from Johto, who has a similar move that damages Rock Types in a severe way."

"That's interesting, though I am not sure what we could have in common." He said "Still, I am not against an interview. How is this journalist though?"

"He seems to know enough about Pokémon battling and is somewhat friendly. Not that interested in low level combat. Guess what's interesting to him are possible League Challengers, since he was there to check one of them."

"Yeah, I guess it makes sense. Professional Trainers start to make a name for themselves only around their sixth or seventh badge unless something monumental happens. Of course a journalist would not care for a low level fight." Draconix said "You have the number? I'll tell him I agree with the call."

Raziel nodded and took the journalist's business card out of his wallet, handing it to Draconix. The younger man read it. "James Flint… Ever heard of him?"

"I checked online. He is pretty important apparently; he has a lot of League Challenges articles."

Draconix nodded "Well then, let's see if we can get a good time to meet…" He said, taking out his phone and making the number.

Raziel looked at him as he waited on the phone until the other side picked up. They had a quick discussion, then Draconix hang up, smiling. "He says he can be here in twenty minutes, and to have Charmeleon too."

Raziel smiled, noticing his friend's expression "You are happy he evolved uh?"

"Are you joking? I am ecstatic! He is halfway to become a Charizard, and he also evolved at the best possible moment, right after a fight with a Gym Leader. That's so cool."

"I guess. I think Gastly still has a decent way to go before becoming a Haunter. Probably won't evolve for a while."

"Right. Speaking of the future, what's your plan after Cerulean?"

"I think I'll skip Saffron for now and go to Vermilion. A Psychic-type Gym isn't really a good match up for a Gastly, at least I can wait until he is a Gengar before trying."

Draconix nodded "You are really going to use a single Pokémon?" He asked "That sounds harsh on both of you."

"What can I say? If I ever bump into another Ghost-type I might catch it, but that's a shot in the dark. And I don't want to catch more Gastly just to use them as fodders."

Draconix nodded again "Well, you have some time to figure it out. Just make sure you do that before the League." He added, smiling to show it was a comment made in good faith.

"For sure. How do I win otherwise?"

"You wish, I'll win and become Champion."

"Sure, Dracotung." He replied with a chuckle.

Darken observed the road. Route 7 was the shortest of all routes, taking less than seven hours to go from Saffron to Celadon for someone walking as fast as possible. Which he was really not doing. Him and Free had been looking for more Pokémon to catch, and had stumbled into both a Meowth and an Abra. He still had to find an Oddish and a Bellsprout though, plus some more Pokémon uninterested in evolving, if there were any. "_My ideal would be a lot easier to accomplish if I could talk to them."_ He thought, but then sighed. While there were some legends about it, he knew no instance of humans and Pokémon speaking directly. The closest thing was auditory illusions, but those were usually used for jokes, and it appeared it was difficult for a Ghost to use them for a proper conversation.

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice from behind. "If it isn't third place!" A voice said from behind.

"_Arceusdammit not him." _He turned around with a sigh "Rennard, hello. What are you doing here?" He looked at the other trainer. Same age as his, he proudly dressed in a long sleeved red jacket, blue jeans and a green shirt. What really stood out were his blue hair. While he wasn't completely unusual, hairs of such color were still rare around Saffron, and would have probably made him the butt of many jokes… if he wasn't so good at fighting. Of course, the signature smug grin on his face would give away how sure of himself he was to anyone.

"Nothing much really, just training a bit before leaving for Fuchsia. But I am glad to see you around. I really needed to blow off some steam."

"_Shit."_ "Listen Rennard, I understand we don't have the best relation, but could we stop? We are both licensed trainers now, not children."

The other looked at him "Look who is acting like a grown up. Listen here, I'll say it only once: I do not care, third place. You are lucky you didn't meet me before that stupid semifinal, so make sure you remember your place. Copycat isn't here to protect you anymore."

Darken shrugged. Everyone had figured out a long time ago Rennard had a thing for Copycat, but she absolutely hated him for rather obvious reasons. Darken was ninety percent sure Rennard hated him because he thought the Trainer was Copy's boyfriend or something like that. "I don't need Copy's protection. You won that fight but doesn't mean you can win now."

Free in that moment moved closer, looking at Rennard right in the eyes. Darken tapped lightly one of his Pokéball, and Jake, his Hitmonchan, sprouted out, moving closer to the three.

"My, you have quite the Pokémon here." He replied, then let the young man go "Anyway, no point in fighting between us right now. I can defeat you, but that wouldn't give me anything. Instead, I'll crush you at the League, so everyone will know who the best is. You better not lose before then. I will get to settle things with both you and that Raziel guy from Lavender." He said, before walking away.

"Sure, whatever." Darken mumbled. That was exactly the Rennard he knew. Jump in, insult him, and then run away when someone else butted in to stop him, usually Free or Copycat. If he wasn't talented as a fighter, Darken was convinced he would have been kicked out of the Academy a long time ago. And yet he had been the one making it to the finals to fight against that guy from Lavender. "_I need to thank him for winning one day, Copy said she had not seen Rennard that angry since that time her Chansey 'accidentally' aimed an Egg Bomb at his face instead of his Pokémon's."_ He chuckled, then smiled at Jake and Free "Thanks guys, you are always great."

And saying so the three walked away to search for more Pokémon. None of them realized the glare Rennard threw back at them before disappearing on the road.

"So the gist of it is that you have absolutely no clue." The journalist said, examining the Charmeleon's claws after the long interview with the young trainer.

"I… Yes, I think that's true. Charmander trained to Scratch rocks and he ended up developing the Breaking Claws." Draconix explained. The journalist looked at him right in the face, his red eyes focused on the brown-haired Teen, then turned and sighed.

"Any theory?"

Draconix though a moment, then nodded "I think there are more types out there than the current fifteen."

The man chuckled "Well, you are not the first I hear discussing the possibility. Although, no one has brought up conclusive proof. I gave it a look. Light, Darkness, Sound, Iron and Cosmic have all been theorized. So far however no one has been able to find out."

Draconix nodded "Yes, I know people that have been ridiculed for trying to prove it."

Raziel nodded as well "I remember a guy showed up in Lavandonia claiming his Misdreavus was half-Cosmic and therefore able to defeat all Gastly in the Pokémon Tower. I remember they had to be dragged out before it was too late."

"Yes, that is the issue. At this point, the idea has been ridiculed by wannabe discoverers that serious scientists approach it with extreme care." The journalist said "A few of my collegues lost all credibility buying a theory or another."

Draconix sighed "Yes, it's a bad idea to research new types, unless by the end hard proof is shown. Until twenty years ago, when Flying-type was proved to be separate from Normal, it was basically taboo."

The man shook his head "It still is. Claiming to have discovered a new type will only be a problem. I hope you are ok with me leaving the idea out of my article. If you find more proof, call me."

"Of course." Draconix said. Flint extended his hand and Draconix shook it with a smile.

"Well, less than I expected, but at least it will make a decent side article and it was an interesting conversation." He said "Young trainer beats Brock with unknown move… Yes, sounds like a good idea." He continued, half lost in his thoughts "Well, thank you for your time and good luck with your League Challenge."

"No problem. Out of curiosity, how did the trainer you were looking for go?" Draconix asked.

"Oh, he lost 2 – 0. Probably not going to stop him, he will just need a better strategy next time." James replied casually. "Not easy when your last Gym is specialized in Rock-types, when he himself is a Fire and Flying specialist." He added, then grinned "If you want to know more, I suggest buying the next edition of my Magazine and read the article, if it makes it to printing."

Draconix chuckled "I will. I buy it anyway."

The journalist cheered up at this "Good to see someone with taste. Farewell." He said, leaving the lobby. As he walked outside, he took up the phone "Yes boss, I have that new article. Some interesting stuff, a new move that seems very effective on Rock-Types. My main article lost, but he will surely try again… Yes, I will send it in asap. Thank you, sir." He smiled. The editor-in-chief of Kanto Battling Monthly Magazine, Pierce Long, was quite the perfectionist, but it seemed he was more than interested. Whistling, he walked down the road to his hotel. He had a long work ahead.

'And an interesting candidate to keep tabs on.'


	16. Chapter 15: Fast as a Rocket

Blue smiled, walking through the roads of Cerulean. Overall, the exchange of one day for the two new moves was decent. He would have preferred to challenge the Water-type Gym the day before, sure, but he still had a fairly long advantage.

He kept walking on the river route, a fairly big residential district that passed near the Cerulean River, the large body of water that gave the name to the city. He knew there was a bridge somewhere, to allow people to cross in the northern wilderness, and he was planning to train there later, but for now all his focus was on getting to the Gym fast.

He took a turn to the right, following a side road between lines of buildings. According to the Pokédex navigator, that was the best route for the Gym, though he was starting to doubt it. "_I should have accepted the map Daisy offered me, even if Gramps said the Pokédex was enough."_ He looked at his phone, but internet connection wasn't working for some reason, so he really was stuck with the Dex map. Hopefully it wasn't too far off. He continued down the road, noticing it was likely not the best of neighborhoods. Trash to the side of the street, Rattata and Pidgey scavenging it, most of the houses had bars to the windows, and a wild, mangy Growlithe run past him to then disappear in a side road. Thankfully, he could see the end of the road, entering in a larger street. just three hundred feet or so ahead.

And that was when there was a sudden thud at his back, and he felt the bag suddenly growing lighter. He turned around, to see his stuff scattered to the ground. A Rattata was scavenging through it. Concerned, Blue took out the bag, finding out there was now a large hole at his bottom. "This was a gift, you know?" He said, looking at the Rattata, busy studying his berry bag and trying to open it, while biting on an object that, Blue realized with horror, was his MT container. Blue felt his anger grow "Put that down, rat, you have already done enough damage!" He shouted, moving his hand to grab his stuff.

And that was when the Rattata jumped forward, biting. Blue moved his hand back right on time, dodging the bite for a split second. "Damn you…!" He shouted, pulling out a Poké Ball. With a screech, Pidgeotto flew out, immediately attacking the Rattata with a Tackle… only for Rattata to turn into a blur and jumping to the side, dodging the attack.

"He is fast! Go for Gus…" He begun saying, then the Rattata jumped on Pidgeotto's back, biting him. Pidgeotto screeched in pain and started flying around, trying to get him off. "Use Gust while turning!" Blue shouted. Pidgeotto nodded, understanding the order, and started twirling while producing the Gust. The wind current turned into a small tornado and forced away the Rattata. The Pokémon landed on the ground and begun running, using Quick Attack not to attack, but to evade, jumping around the Pidgeotto, from the wall, to the ground, to another wall, using his claws to hold on the surfaces.

"_That's a good technique…"_ Blue thought, studying his movement, then nodding at Pidgeotto. "Hit him with Quick Attack." He said. Pidgeotto nodded back and darted forward himself, the two matching in speed. "_No, actually the Rattata is… faster? That's weird."_ He thought. He knew Rattata could be a fast runner, but to outpace the Pidgeotto, even if the bird had to move carefully in the restricted space, was quite the achievement. As he was thinking what to do next, Rattata jumped forward, the sudden change of direction throwing the Flying-type off his tail, and after grabbing something in his mouth run off down the same road.

"What?! Pidgeotto, follow him!" HE shouted, looking at the ground to figure out what the Pokémon had taken. It took him a second to realize the MT container was gone. "_But why the MT container?"_ He thought, picking up his stuff. A wild Pokémon had no reason to take it, since it still needed a PC or a portable reader to work.

Pidgeotto grunted, trying his best to match up with the Pokémon as it delved deeper in the small roads of that area of Cerulean. Flying between buildings was hard enough, and now he had to fly low and at high speed to keep up with the rodent, who was giving no sign of slowing down any time soon. The Flying-type had almost lost him twice already. "_Good thing I evolved. If I was still a Pidgey, I'd have lost him long ago."_ He thought, diving law and trying to catch him like a prey. Rattata in response jumped to the side, clinging on the wall with his claws and running forward. Pidgeotto scoffed. "Will you stop already?!" He shouted.

In response, the Rattata mumbled something hard to understand with his mouth filled by the MT container, but that sounded like a provocation. Pidgeotto pondered his response, then was startled when the Rattata suddenly made a u turn, jumping from one wall to the other and running off. The Flying-type barely managed in time to stop himself from hitting the brick wall at the end of the dead end, and to do that he had to stop the Quick Attack. He turned, seeing Rattata disappear on the right, and flew in that direction… only to fly face first in another brick wall, at the end of a small abandoned courtyard. He fell down. Looking up he saw the courtyard was around an house and saw Rattata disappear upward, climbing and running off once on the roof.

'_Damn.'_ Pidgeotto thought, standing up on wobbly legs. He looked around, trying to figure out what to do. And that was when the Meowth with a scar on his left cheek emerged from a dumpster, followed by another, and another. '_Oh for the love of Moltres, really?'_

"_You are in a bad neighborhood, mister birdy. Doesn't look like you are from around here, and you do look healthy enough…"_ The scarred Meowth said, purring excitedly. Pidgeotto noted he looked thin, and in an unhealthy way. Probably not eating much, which was the problematic part.

"_Listen, I am not a Wild Pokémon, I have a trainer. You really think you three stand a chance?"_ The Flying-type replied _"I am just following a Rattata thief, who has managed to outrun me. Could you…"_

"_A Rattata thief?" _The Meowth asked, suddenly interested.

"_You know him?"_ The Pidgeotto asked. The scarred Meowth smiled.

"_Oh, I know a lot, my friend. But you should worry more about yourself."_

Pidgeotto considered the situation for a second. If the Meowth was telling the truth, he still had a chance to catch up with the thief, or at least tell Blue where to find him. "_Where is his lair?"_

Meowth chuckled _"No, no, mister birdy. Let's focus on what we are going to do with you."_ The feline replied, licking his mustache.

Pidgeotto nodded _"Fine."_ He said, jumping and starting to fly. "_I don't promise to be kind." _

"So it's not an isolated incident?" Blue asked. The police officer shook his head, helping him picking up his stuff from the ground. Blue had noticed him once he had made once he had made his way out of the alley and into the main street. The officer was more than helpful, getting him a plastic bag from a nearby store and listening to him.

"No, it's actually a rather big problem." He explained "For the last week, internet connection has mostly been out in Cerulean. Not only there are some weird interferences, but various Rattata are chewing the lines, and seem to be very organized. And at the same time, we are seeing a rise in theft perpetrated by those same Rattata."

"And no one has figured out anything? I thought a Growlithe could easily track down any thief."

"We thought so too." The officer said "But they seem to always jump into the river at some point, and the trail runs cold there, and no one notices Rattata in a city like this." He said "Since they closed the Powerplant, we are in a bit of a recession, so we have way too many empty houses that can become their lair, as you might have noticed. By the way, what where you doing in there?"

"Just going to the Gym." He said, explaining the situation.

The officer stared at him, puzzled "Not from the city, are you?" The policeman said "You shouldn't go down an alley just because a navigator says so. Hope you learned that. Anyway, I'll bring your report in and see what we can do." He added, to then walk off. Blue sighed, looking at the plastic bag in his hands. "_What do I do now…"_ Buying a new MT collector was easy, the real issue was the MT stored inside. He had only one, but it was a Series I his grandpa had given him as a goodbye gift, losing it was the worst.

He sat on a bench near the alley, waiting. Hopefully Pidgeotto would come back with either the Rattata or the item.

Pidgeotto stared at the building. "_So this is the place?"_ He asked to his prisoner.

"_Ye-yes mister b… sir!" _The Meowth answered. Pidgeotto looked down. The scarred feline was dangling from his claws about thirty feet from the ground. Not enough to kill him probably, but certainly enough to hurt a lot.

He then scanned the building. A surprising one, for more than a reason. First of all, it was not an abandoned building, but a small store in the commercial district, with a large antenna on top. Pidgeotto was not able to read human, but he could tell it was some sort of flower store. "_Why do humans even buy those things?"_ He wondered, but then focused again. The important thing was the upper floor was where the Meowth had said the Rattata lived. And the problem was, there were also some humans inside. "_So he wasn't wild after all?"_ He wondered "_He did seem too good for a wild Pokémon…"_ In any case, barging in was now not an option. He needed Blue to deal with the humans.

He flew down, letting the Meowth go. The feline run off back in a nearby alley, and he flew down the road. He had figured the road Blue had met the Rattata in would take him to that same district, it was pretty clear from high above, so he could make it quite fast. He found his trainer on a bench.

"Pidgeotto!" The trainer said, jumping up, then he noticed that the Pokémon had nothing with him and sighed "I guess it means you didn't make it." Pidgeotto shook his head and took flight. He chose to follow him, to see where he was going. They walked a bit down the commercial district, line after line of stores, most open but some closed down, until they arrived at a florist. Pidgeotto then perched himself on the roof briefly, before flying down.

"This place?" He asked. The Pokémon nodded. Blue started thinking. _"If he was a wild Pokémon, it would never live in a used building, too dangerous. Is it actually a trainer?"_ He wondered, his brain now racing to find a solution "_The thefts, the chewed lines, the interferences… Is someone doing all this? But what has internet to do with the thefts?" _He looked up, pondering what to do. He could call the police, but if those people were prepared enough to take down the internet connection of a city, they would have probably noticed and made it out. And that was supposing they would even listen to him.

"_Can I do it by myself?"_ He wondered. He could just sneak in, take back his stuff, and get out. That was, of course, if he could find any entrance besides the store. He turned and walked around, entering the closest alley to the store. Sure enough, behind it was a fire escape, two metal stairs leading to a door for the second and third floor. It looked somewhat rickety, stains of rust in some points, but it did seem it would hold his weight.

Blue carefully walked up, Pidgeotto ready to jump in if anything went wrong. Once he made it to the second floor, he opened the door slowly. It did not make a sound thankfully, and the Trainer looked inside. The room was small and empty, a corridor leading to three doors and the stairs. Blue looked around, nervous. "_What am I doing?" _He wondered to himself. "_I should have just asked the store owner permission to check if the Rattata was here. He would have probably said yes." _He was still considering this, when a door opened. Blue moved back slightly, almost closing the emergency door, but still able to see down the corridor.

The man that came out was in a black uniform, with a large red R on his chest. His face was obscured by the dim light of the corridor and the large black hat he was wearing, but Blue felt a chill down his spine. That was a Rocket member. "I am going to the Bridge." The Rocket said "Proton, Petrel, you two make sure none of them goes out of line. If it's needed, threaten the Eggs, but don't. Do. Stupid. Stuff." He said, saying the last words one by one "Proton, in an hour I want you to go change with Kyoku. Petrel, you will switch with me at the Bridge once I am back. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" Two voices said from inside. The man nodded and, to Blue's horror, he started walking his way. Blue left the door slightly opened and moved down the stairs, then ran in the alley, on the side that led to the commercial district. The Rocket came out, looking around, probably because he had noticed the fact the door was opened. He carefully walked down, and then looked around again. Finally, he walked away, disappearing in another alley.

"_Team Rocket…"_ Blue thought, trying to figure out what to do. Team Rocket was a known criminal organization, that for the last ten years had been the terror of Kanto. Theft, kidnapping, protection racket… Team Rocket was dangerous. "_What do I do now…"_

The obvious choice was to run away, call the Police and let them figure it out. _"But would they even believe me? If it's Team Rocket, they would probably catch news of it, and run away before we can find anything out. And what if the police doesn't believe me?" _That only left one alternative. "_Just like I planned before. I know there are only two of them. I go in, take my MT, and run away."_ He thought. He was fairly sure he could sneak on them if they weren't on guard. And of course he was sure to be strong enough to beat two randos in a fight, even at a disadvantage. After all, according to the police, most Rocket members were only low-level trainers, the real threat being in their number and in their upper echelon. "_And I am the best of Pallet."_ He thought.

Blue walked back up the stairs and put his hand on the door handle. He opened it… and then felt an impact on the back of his head. Before losing his vision, he heard a voice, that sounded distant despite probably being just behind the door "He was right again. We did have a rat."


	17. Chapter 16: Rat and Bird

Blue opened his eyes slowly, feeling the pain to the back of his head, and looked around. He was tied, both hands and feet. He did not have his belt, and there was no one else in the room. There was also nothing except the chair he was tied at and an empty table with three more chairs.

He looked around. "_Did they run away with my Poké Ball?"_ He asked himself nervously. That was the worst-case scenario. Pidgeotto was out when he had entered, but Squirtle was still inside. If they had left already… His thought process was interrupted by the door opening, and two men strolling in, followed by about ten Rattata. One of them was holding a bunch of Rattata eggs in a basket, the other, completely drenched in water, Squirtle. The Pokémon had been tied too, but was awake.

"I still say we should have left him in his Poké Ball." The one on the left said, his hand stroking his purple beard.

The one with water green hair shook his head "Too dangerous. Remember that time with the Pidgeot? We put down the Ball for a minute, and he ran away. It's a lot easier to just take them out and…" Then he noticed Blue was awake "Oh, our attempted hero is awake."

The purple haired one smiled "Looks like we can have our answers sooner than expected."

"That's because you hit like a baby."

"Now, now, I just wanted to make sure he wouldn't stay out too long." He said, then leaned down, looking in Blue's eyes. "So, Mister Oak, correct?" He asked. Blue's eyes widened, and the man smiled "Surprised? Is not that hard to know who you are."

"We checked your ID." The one with green hair said, the one with purple hair glaring at him "What? It's bettere if he knows. We know everything. Blue Oak, eighteen years old, born in Pallet Town. The nephew of famous scientist Samuel Oak."

The bearded man shook his head "Indeed. Now, me and my associate, we have come at a stalemate. You see, we both have our jobs. The leader of our little operation is currently not here, although unfortunately for you he noticed your little stunt."

Blue thought back at the other man, the one he had not seen the face of. He had hoped they would just think the door had been left opened by chance, but he had been smart enough to figure it out. Not that he had much of a choice. "So, what do you want now?" He asked.

"Well, first of all, we want your other Pokémon." The purple haired said.

"I don't have another one." Blue replied. Then he felt the slap, almost too fast to see. The bearded man shook his head.

"Now, now, lying is not a good idea, not with me." He said "I am giving you one more chance. There are two Poké Ball on your belt. Both used. One had the Squirtle inside. Where is the other one? Don't lie."

Blue shut his mouth, angry. The green haired man laughed "This one is a fighter, funnier than usual. Remember that guy that started crying after the first slap and gave up on the fact her Spearow was hiding behind a bush?"

The bearded one stroked his beard, worried "Yeah, looks like I might need to go a bit harsher on this one to get what we need." He said, then punched. Blue felt his gut burn and coughed, his breath leaving his stomach all at once.

"Right for the punching? Scary." The other one said "Listen kid, you should just tell him. We don't care about you. This base is already compromised, we are moving later today. We already have the Squirtle, you think hiding another Pokémon will help? Do the right thing and we'll leave you here once we leave."

"I saw your faces. Will you really just let me go?" Blue asked.

The smile on the green one faded "You are a gutsy bastard, aren't you?"

"That's what makes this fun." The purple one replied, then went for another slap. Blue felt his cheek burn.

Pidgeotto looked at the scene from the building on the other side of the road, through the window, and felt his grip on the ledge.

He looked at the room. About ten Rattata, wild by their behavior, but maybe still a danger. The eggs. Squirtle was tied, but he was awake, so he could probably put up a fight too. Problem was if the two Trainers called him in the Ball that was game over. His priority was to take back the Poké Ball.

'_What do I do…'_ He asked himself. Then he noticed Squirtle was looking at him. And was trying to tell him something.

The moment the trap had sprung, Squirtle had jumped out of the Poké Ball and attacked. His Water Gun had hit square in the face the first Rocket, sending him fly on the other side of the room spitting water. But then the Koffing had come out, probably from the Poké Ball of the other one. Then another, and another. He had tried to put up a fight, and he had defeated one, but then a Zubat had joined the fight and confused him with Supersonic. Next thing he remembered was a series of painful hits and waking up tied in the room, surrounded by Rattata, and only Rattata.

He looked at them. The thing that was clear was that none of them were captured. That was evident for a Pokémon, a difference in the way they moved and behaved. And if they were trained Pokémon, they would have probably been called anyway when he attacked.

"_Pssst…_" He whispered, trying to get their attention. One of them turned around "_You, yes, you. Can you help me?_" He asked.

The Rattata looked around, and shook his head "_I can't, sorry. If we don't obey, they'll smash our eggs_."

Squirtle frowned. So that was why the Rattata were working for them, despite not being trained. Made sense, he supposed. He had no idea of why they would have bothered, instead of just catching them all, but maybe there was some human reason he could not understand. His mind raced. What would Blue do? '_Aside from breaking into the base of a criminal organization and get captured…'_ He thought about the day before, where the trainer had convinced the other two into helping him. "_What if we save your eggs and you help us in exchange?"_ He asked.

"_How would you do that?"_ The Rattata asked, suddenly interested.

'_Good question…' _"_Where are the eggs?"_

"_One of them always keeps them on sight. If one of us does something wrong, they threaten to crush one_." The Rattata, a female, he realized, said, some tears showing. "_None of us wants to cause… that… so we just do what they say. Chew some lines, steal items…_"

'_Well that's an explanation. I wish humans and Pokémon could talk, that would make things a lot easier.'_ He thought "_Ok then. Let me think… My associate can recover the eggs, I am sure. If he does that, will you help us in fighting those guys?"_

Rattata looked uncertain, then nodded "_I'll tell our leader. But… I have to tell you, it's unlikely they will believe you._"

Squirtle thought, then had an idea. "_Is the one that stole a TM container around?_" He asked "_The fast one_."

She nodded "_Yes he is here. Why_?"

"_Ask him if the Pokémon that followed him was fast enough to grab the eggs_." He said. "_That should help_."

She nodded and moved away, to talk to another Rattata. '_Bless whoever made sure a Pokémon could know what was going on outside a Ball or I would have had no idea of what to say otherwise.'_

In that moment, two men entered the room, grabbing Squirtle. One of them was carrying the eggs, he noticed. "So we take the turtle to the room, isn't that dangerous?"

"The kid will be tied and I am going to interrogate him. If we get jumped by the turtle, we can just threaten him."

The green haired one nodded "Good idea." He said, grabbing the Pokémon by the tail. "You know, you are quite strong. You'll be a nice addition to our team."

In response, Squirtle opened his mouth and unleashed another Water Gun. The man sputtered, while the other laughed uncontrollably. "You little…"

"Come on Proton, calm down and let's go, the sooner we finish this, the sooner we can go back to usual business."

They had taken him to the other room. Thankfully, the Rattata had followed them and weren't stopped from doing so. Clearly, the two Rockets were used to them moving around the base, and didn't think much of them. '_Of course. They have absolute control.'_

The first step of his plan was figuring out how to make Pidgeotto understand what was going on. As the group entered the room where Blue was tied, he looked outside of the window. As he had hoped, Pidgeotto was there, on the building on the other side of the road. As Blue's interrogation begun, he looked at the Rattata. She nodded, and the other did so too. Apparently, it hadn't been an hard choice.

'_Ok Pidgeotto, now we need you to figure out the plan.'_ He thought, looking at the Pokémon and trying to point his attention to the Eggs on the table _'Please, figure it out.'_

Pidgeotto looked puzzled as his friend kept pointing his head to the Rocket member near the table. _'He wants me to attack him? That's suicidal.' _He thought. No, Squirtle wouldn't be that stupid. So perhaps there was something else.

He looked at Blue, right as a new slap landed. He felt the need of dashing in, but knew there was no way that would work. Leaving aside the fact the window was closed and it would take an actual attack to smash it, the real issue was that fighting would have immediately meant them using the Poké Ball to take him in. For a split second of course, but enough for them to fight him off. _'Then what are you trying to say, Squirtle?' _He looked at the direction the Pokémon was trying to point at. There was the green haired man, the empty chair, and then the table with the Eggs.

'_So the Eggs.'_ He decided. There was nothing else worth mentioning. He looked at the Rattata, thinking that they were probably wild Pokémon. _'The logic explanation is that somehow they control them with the eggs. Maybe a threat? Or maybe a natural predator inside? Well, anyway, I get the Eggs and… I don't know, but Squirtle seems convinced it will help.' _He observed the two men, and tried his best to study a plan. '_If the green haired one gets distracted, I can go in.' _He looked at Blue '_Please, do something Blue. You are the best chance we have at distracting him.'_

As the bearded man slapped him again, Blue focused his attention on the room. He had been the only one to notice Squirtle pointing to the table, while looking outside the window. He had no idea why he was doing that, since the only thing on the table were Eggs, but he knew that the most likely explanation was he was trying to say something to Pidgeotto. He had done his best to not look at the window to see where the Pokémon was, because the Rocket would likely notice, but he knew he was likely out there.

"Don't get distracted kid, we are talking." The purple haired individual said, slapping him again "We were talking about your other Pokémon."

"_If he needs to do something with the Eggs…" _He thought, looking at the green haired one "Why?" He asked "Why go through the trouble of stealing using Rattata? I thought Team Rocket was good enough to actually steal anything they wanted."

A new slap "Don't ask questions, answer them."

"Calm down, calm down, some curiosity is normal." The green haired one said, smiling "Well kid, we use the Rattata because they are wild. Even if one gets caught, it won't lead back to any of us, like a caught one would."

Blue's mind raced. Wild Rattata. Rattata builds colonies, to care both for the members and the eggs. Those colonies care for each other. So all this meant… "_They are using the Eggs as a threat to keep them under control. That also makes sense with what the guy said before."_ He thought, suddenly realizing what Squirtle was trying to say. If Pidgeotto could take back the Eggs, the Rattata would fight the Rockets. And all it needed was for both of them to be distracted. "Ah. Pretty smart for someone with hair that makes him look like a badly pruned tree." He said, then pretended to have let his mouth slip.

Now the green haired man was angry, and moved forward, hitting him in the face with a punch. Blue felt the full force, but smiled. "_Now, Pidgeotto."_

And then there was a crash.

Pidgeotto did not miss his chance. The moment the man moved toward Blue and passed the table, he used Quick Attack to break through the door at full speed. He grabbed the basket and flew off. Knowing full well he had to disappear fast, he immediately turned, without releasing the Quick Attack, and crashed through another window. Some glass shards embed themselves in his wings, but he did not stop.

Squirtle smiled. "_Now!" _he shouted, but the Rattata were already moving, jumping on the two Rocket members, while two of them chewed Blue and Squirtle's bonds. In a matter of second they were both free.

Squirtle run to his Trainer, helping him stand by holding him up from below. The boy was clearly a bit confused, due to all the hits he had taken, but smiled "Good job, you really saved us." Then he shouted "Everyone, run! We have the Eggs, you have no reason to stay!"

The Rattata nodded, and followed the Trainer outside. Squirtle followed Blue to the stairs. He could hear the two men shouting at them, even under the screeches of every Rattata in the building. At the bottom of the stairs, Blue opened the door and the scared shopkeeper could only watch in surprise as a young man, a Squirtle and about thirty Rattata run outside. Before he could act in any way, the two Rockets run outside after them, followed by a good number of Koffing and Zubat. Squirtle noticed the expression of the florist and realized what he was going to do, using Water Gun on the Ekans that came out of his Ball, the second he opened it. Ekans flew back, as the group left the store and run down the street. After a few hundred feet, Squirtle looked back, sighing in relief. The Rocket had immediately stopped pursuing them, probably knowing that an open road was bound to be full of Trainers, many of which would likely jump on them. "_I almost wish they did. I could pay them back at least."_

His trainer sighed in relief. And then fell to the ground, probably because of the wounds and the fatigue. A few people rushed them, finally snapping back to reality after the strange scene they had just watched. At the same time, Pidgeotto landed, looking worried, the basket still in his claws. The Rattata cheered, and the moment it touched the ground started taking out their eggs.

"_Is he ok?" _The bird asked, ignoring them.

Squirtle looked at the trainer. _"He took a bit of a beating, but nothing terrible I thing. They probably didn't want to hurt him too badly before he could tell them about you."_

Pidgeotto sighed in relief "_We were… incredibly lucky today." _He said, gravely, as the sound of an ambulance and a police car grew closer. Someone probably had called them. _"If there wasn't a window, or if it wasn't for the specific circumstances of the Rattata clan, we probably would have lost our trainer."_

"_Please, don't make me think about it. We need to get a lot stronger."_ Squirtle replied, clenching his hand "_We got too cocky and almost lost our Trainer."_

"_As a matter of fact, I think Blue has lost almost everything." _Pidgeotto said, looking at him _"His plastic bag is still there, and I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of recovering it. I guess that's what we get. No Poké Ball, no items… We even lost the Pokédex."_

Squirtle nodded, looking at his Trainer as the ambulance and the police car stopped near them and doctors and police officers moved closer. Knowing Blue, he would likely be relieved he at least had still his Pokémon, but everything else… He did not want to think at his face when he realized the Dex was lost.

"_Excuse me…" _A Pokémon said, moving closer. They turned to see a Raticate, followed by four Rattata. And looked in shock at the belt he had in his mouth, their Poké Ball still on it. The four behind had other items. The TM holder, the Pokédex, and what looked like Blue's wallet and phone. They all put down the items. "_We are sorry, this is all we could save in the short time we had. It seemed like the most important stuff. I hope there was nothing more important we missed."_

"_I… Thank you, this is so kind of you!" _Squirtle said, his smile growing "_We thought he had lost everything!"_

"_Oh, this is the least we could do. In fact, we wish to make you an offer." _The Raticate said.

Blue woke up hours later. He was in a hospital room. His face hurt like hell. And he could see Squirtle and Pidgeotto near him, one perched on a chair and the other sitting on it. Looking outside, he noticed it was already night. And there was one more man in the room.

"You should rest." The police officer said. "But if you can I'd like to ask a few questions."

Blue nodded, and the next hour was spent mostly explaining what had happened. He described the robbery, Pidgeotto leading him to the florist, the capture and the escape. The officer asked a few more question, then thanked him and left.

Blue fell back on the bed, sighing. "Any idea what was going on?"

"We believe they had some plan involving the city internet connection. However, they had already destroyed whatever machine they were using to ruin the signal by the time we made it there." He explained "I am also sorry to say there was nothing left, so most of your belongings were lost." He added, then pointed to the table near the bed "However, it seems your Pokémon managed to take back a few things."

Blue looked at it. He could see his wallet, TM-holder and cellphone. He sighed in relief seeing the Dex was also there. Turning to look at Squirtle and Pidgeotto, he also noticed his belt was on the chair, the two Poké Ball near it. And he could see the Boulder Badge near it. "_Luckily I chose to pin it to the Belt and not to use one of those Badge Holders they sell online." _He thought, then turned to the officer, but he had already left.

Blue sighed again and immediately fell asleep, comforted by the presence of his Pokémon. He was so tired he did not notice the third Poké Ball on the belt.

The officer left the room, angered, and handed the report to the one guarding the door "Pass this to the chief. I think it's all you need from the kid. If they ask, you made the interview."

The officer nodded "Yes sir." He said, adding a small gesture of crossing the index and medium figure in the salute.

The young man did the same and left. He entered a bathroom, making sure no one was looking his way, and removed the mask. The face in the mirror was of a far younger man. "_Petrel, you are an idiot but those are useful."_ He thought, burning it with a lighter. Once it was too deformed to tell what it used to be, he used the water to stop the fire and threw it in the trashcan. Then he took off the uniform, folded it and put it in the bag he had left there, taking out more casual clothes.

He moved outside the bathroom and walked off. "_He only saw and knew the name of Proton and Petrel, that's the best scenario. Him knowing Kyoku's name is an issue, but at least he has no idea of what she looks like."_ For good measure, he had described the wrong hair colors and height in the report before handing it out. _"And anyway that base was already compromised thanks to the other kid, we had to vacate it anyway. Shame we had to break the machines, now the internet is bound to come back."_

The Rocket Lieutenant left the hospital. He was going to have a long, long meeting with Proton and Petrel.


	18. Chapter 17: Light Sleep, Dark Night

Draconix observed the rocky cliffs of Route 4. It had been two days since he and Raziel had left Pewter City, in hopes of making it in that time to Mount Moon. However, training was taking long, and at this point they were likely going to camp out one more night before taking on Mount Moon.

"Man, this takes forever." Raziel complained with a sigh. Draconix nodded. The way to Mount Moon seemed a lot harder than they had expected. Leaving aside wild Pokémon and training, the road was also mostly uphill.

"How did Blue make it so fast." Draconix wondered, speaking to himself as they proceeded. He had heard about Blue's run into the Team Rocket from a TV in the Trainers' House and had immediately called him. Apparently, he was already doing better, and likely challenging the Gym in a day or two. Of course, he acted like he was in full control of the situation, but Draconix could tell he was scared. Scared Team Rocket would find out where he was and finish the job. 'Well he said he is going to leave the city as soon as he has the Badge, is probably nothing to worry about.'

Giuls observed the dark entrance of Mount Moon. Sure, there were other roads through the mountains between central and western Kanto. The Diglett Cave, or the Emerald Tunnel and its bus service, where both valid alternatives. However, Mount Moon was important. Before the Diglett Cave emerged and the Emerald Tunnel was built, the mountain truly was the only pass. The legends said a legendary Pokémon and his trainer had opened the pass, although maybe it was just folklore. However, there was no doubt that since the League was instituted thousands of Trainers had traveled through the cave to reach the other side, and it was considered cheap to use the other passages first. 'And I certainly won't be.' She thought, and begun walking.

The cave was almost silent. She could hear the sound of distant fighting, but that was normal. If she had any doubt, the Zubat that flew down from the ceiling and prepared to fight her was the proof she needed. She sent out Bulbasaur and sighed seeing the Pokémon jump into combat without even waiting for her.

'Fine. Let's do this.' She brought her hand at the pocket and took out the stone Professor Cozmo had given her before, the Moonstone as he had called it. She knew it was an evolution item, but for her it was more. For some reason, in those last two days she had taken the habit of holding it when she was upset. It seemed… calming. Maybe because since their meeting with Cozmi Bulbasaur seemed to be warming up to her even more.

She did not notice the two small eyes staring at her from a crack in the wall.

"This isn't going to work." Raziel said, looking at the Pokémon Center. Built just an hour from Mount Moon, the Pokémon Center was the final resting spot for trainers before the challenge of making their way through the mountain.

The problem was that said Pokémon Center was completely full. About a hundred people were talking and eating in the crowded hall, and most of them seemed to be trainers. Slowly, Raziel and Draconix made their way to the counter, where the most stressed looking nurse the two had ever seen was sitting, exhausted. "Oh Arceus there are more…" She muttered, before putting up a less than convincing smile "What can I do for you? As you can notice we are a bit… overcrowded."

"No kidding, is this normal?" Draconix asked.

"Not really thankfully. Is just that a lot of trainers from Cerulean tend to pick the western route to take the League Challenge. After all this way they face Pewter and Cinnabar." She said with a sigh "Considering how the week went, today should be the last big group. After this, the traffic will settle down again."

Draconix and Raziel both nodded in understanding. They had heard about the big rush that some Pokémon Centers had to face in the weeks after the end of the Trainer Academy year, but this was the first time they saw such examples. 'Ah, maybe that's why we ended up fighting so many trainers coming this way.' Raziel thought. "Anyway, we'd like a room if possible."

The woman sighed and looked at a registry. "I have a double, is that ok?" She asked.

Draconix went pale at this for a second but nodded. Raziel looked at him a moment before nodding as well. The woman nodded and took a keychain from under the counter. There were two keys connected to it. "Please return them tomorrow before you leave. You have no idea how hard it is to get new keys up here."

"Sure, no problem. Thank you." Said the brown-haired trainer, taking them before Raziel had a chance.

"You ok Draconix?" Raziel asked once they had moved from the counter.

"Is nothing, I just… don't like to share a room." He said with a nervous smile. Noticing Raziel's look he continued "Ah is nothing against you or anything, I just don't lake sleeping in the same room with other people."

Raziel scratched his head "Well, I hope is not that big of an issue. It will be for just one night."

Draconix nodded "Yeah, I am probably worrying for nothing anyway."

Giuls observed the exit. It wasn't, of course, the exit for Celadon, merely the point marking the entrance to Moon Lake. She exited on a field of grass, extending around a large body of water shining brightly under the moon. Near it, was a large trainer house. Looking to her left, she could see the road continue near the rocky side of the mountain until it opened again on the entrance to the second half of the cave. Beyond the lake, the grass continued for a bit before turning almost abruptly in a pine forest.

She knew Moon Lake was famous for the monthly Clefairy Dance, but the event, the one when it was more easy for trainers to catch one of the rare Clefairy, only happened on a night of full moon and the day before and after, and that was neither of those. So that night the lake was silent, except for the soothing sound of the breeze in the grass.

For a moment, she considered moving on, but she had heard that traveling through the cave at night was only suggested to very experienced trainers. At night Golbat and Parasect commonly came out from their hiding spots to feed, so it was only suggested to trainers capable of taking them on.

'If I asked Bulbasaur she'd probably jump at the opportunity, but I am not that stupid." She thought with a sigh. Although, to be fair, Bulbasaur had calmed down a bit as they ventured deeper in the cave. She had probably realized that while Geodude was an easy opponent for her, Paras and Zubat were not. Giuls actually needed to refill a bit her Potions, she was starting to run low.

She walked to the Trainer House and found it surprisingly full. A quick talk with the owner, an elderly man all smiles and cheers, clarified that those were mostly trainers from Celadon aiming for Pewter and Cinnabar. He cheerfully sold her the Potions she needed and gave her a key to a single room. He smiled all the way as he showed her the exact door, before leaving with a tip. Giuls wondered how did the man have the energy to smile for that long.

She entered the room, closed the door and fell on the bed. Immediately the tiredness of the whole day spent going up and down stairs and slopes hit her. Or maybe it was that strange music she could hear from the window…

She felt her eyes grow heavy…

She looked outside, noticing the starry sky… And one of the stars was dark, and right on the window, in front of the moon, singing…

And then she fell asleep.

Bulbasaur noticed everything happening from inside her Poké Ball. She KNEW this was wrong and in more than a way. Giuls wasn't that fast, and even if muffled she could hear the faint song coming from outside. Luckily, Poké Ball made the Pokémon inside immune to any stray move, including sound based one. Short of an attack aimed directly at the Poké Ball, it was pretty hard to damage the Pokémon inside.

So she was completely awake when Giuls started to sleep quietly, and the small figure at the window begun cracking the window open. '_Should I jump out?_'. She wondered, then shook her head. No, the other one might have started to sing. She had one shot.

The window opened, and the Clefairy crawled in. The pink star-shaped Pokémon jumped lightly, almost like gravity had no effect on her, and reached for Giuls' pocket. Right next to the belt. Bulbasaur smiled and jumped out, her vines extending immediately to cover Clefairy's mouth and block her escape.

"_What do we have here?"_ She asked mockingly _"A little thief. I thought Clefairy were supposed to be nice and sweet."_

"_P-Please… It hurts…" _The Clefairy cried, her voice muffled by the vine.

"_Oh don't give me that, I have fought enough Pokémon to know when I am squishing too hard. I am not right now. But I can start."_ She said, and gripped a bit harder. The Clefairy squealed and her expression changed.

"_Fine, have it your way, miss." _She said, abandoning completely both the fake cry and any attempt at feigning pain _"I need your trainer's Moon Stone. I just want that. Let me take it and I'll go."_

"_You act like you are in the position to make demands."_ Bulbasaur said.

"_Oh but I am."_ She said, shaking a finger mockingly "_In had the upper hand the moment you didn't stop my hand just now."_

"_What…"_ Bulbasaur begun, then she noticed the Clefairy's finger.

With an explosion, a Fire Blast flew towards her. She ducked, dodging the hit itself, but the fire scorched her vines and made the window explode. Bulbasaur looked up, just in time to see the Clefairy chuckle and grab the Moon Stone. For a moment she expected her to evolve, but nothing happened. The Clefairy simply run off, Moon Stone in hand.

Bulbasaur readied her vines, but she found out they weren't ready yet. Scorched by the fire, her energy was taking some time to regrow them. She opted to launch one last attack, but after that the Pokémon run off. _"Damn!" _She shouted. And in that moment she heard a voice and a knocking at the door.

"What…" Giuls asked, standing up. Her room was a disaster. And not the usual messy room she usually left. No, it was a literal disaster. The window was gone, a large star-shaped hole in the wall in it's place, and Bulbasaur seemed angry.

And then there was the knocking at the door. "What's going on miss? Are you ok?!"

She stood up, looking at Bulbasaur. The Pokèmon was angry but she did not understand what had happened. Giuls brought her hand to her pocket mechanically and found… nothing. Where the Moon Stone should have been, there was only an empty pocket.

"Who did this stole it?" She asked. Bulbasaur nodded. Giuls ran at the door and opened it to find a scared old man, his smile gone. "Yes, sorry, I was attacked by someone that stole something and run. Sorry for the noise and the window but it really wasn't my fault." Then she closed the door, thinking.

She could have let it go. Just ask for another room and forget about it. Or…

"Bulbasaur, think you can find who did this?"

The Pokémon nodded. And Giuls smiled. "Alright, we are hunting a thief tonight."

She grabbed her bag and exited the room. "Sorry for the trouble. I'll try to catch the thief. I'll come back. Bye, and sorry again!"

Before the man could say anything she was down the stairs.

Clefairy sat under a tree, smiling. He made sure the Everstone was still in place and smiled. '_With this we can do it.' _She thought.

She was feeling a bit more tired than she should have, but it was probably fault of the Bulbasaur's attacks. The important thing was that now she had the Moon Stone. With that… Then she heard a faint sound. While she was not a Clefable, her hearing was still among the best. She could hear that something was coming. Probably nothing, just a trainer trying to catch something rarer at night, but for safety she jumped up, hiding on one of the tree branches. Completely hidden, the smell of the pines would have hidden her.

Still, her heart skip a bit when she saw the Bulbasaur and her trainer walk under the tree. _'What? How did they find me? I floated over the lake to get here, there were no tracks!' _She had consumed most of her stored moonlight to pull off that trick, and now it was for nothing? '_No calm down. They can't know I am here. It's imposs…'_ And then a vine darted toward her. Before she could do anything, she was completely trapped. Including her hands.

"_Hello again."_ The Bulbasaur said with a smile.

"… A Clefairy?" Giuls asked "Are you sure it's the right one?"

Bulbasaur nodded, growling angry at the Normal-type Pokémon. Giuls considered what to do. "Well, first of all, let's recover my Moon Stone." She said, and grabbed the stone from the Pokémon paw. Surprising, she put up some resistance, but Giuls managed to take it and put it back in the pocket. "Now, why did you do that? Clefairy are supposed to be very friendly and shy not… that."

"_Come on, is just a thief, what do you think she will say?"_ Bulbasaur asked _"And for that matter, you wouldn't understand her anyway. Aaaah, I don't even know why I am trying to speak to you…"_

"_Please." _Clefairy said _"I need that stone! Otherwise we are doomed! Please!"_

Bulbasaur stared at her _"Why should I buy any of that?"_ She asked.

"_Listen, I get it, I did something wrong, but I am desperate! My clan needs that stone! We need to make one of us evolve."_

"_Why? What could be so important that you need to bomb us?!"_

Clefairy sighed _"The other day we were attacked by some strong Pokémon. One of us, our leader, is on the deathbed. If we don't find a new Clefable, we are doomed, we will never survive against the Golbat and the Parasect on our own!"_

Bulbasaur stared at her. There was no trace of lying in the Pokémon's expression. She really was desperate. She released her grip, leaving only a vine around the Normal-type waist and hands, and nodded. "_Lead the way. I want to see this."_ She said "_If you are lying, I will turn that into the truth, trust me."_

Clefairy nodded, and begun to walk. Bulbasaur looked behind for a second, but Giuls had clearly understood they were going to follow the Clefairy.

'_I hope I am doing the right thing.'_ Bulbasaur thought. For once, she wished her trainer was more assertive instead of trusting her. Now if they were wrong it was going to be her fault.

"_Can I ask a question?" _Clefairy asked _"How did you find me?"_

Bulbasaur chuckled. "_Leech Seed. Once I plant it, I can tell where the target is so long as it isn't removed."_

"_What?! Where…" _Clefairy asked, now realizing why she was feeling more tired than she should have, but Bulbasaur shook her head.

"_Don't try remove it. Consider it another reason to do as I say."_

And so the three continued in the woods.


	19. Chapter 18: Nightmare and reality

The first thing Draconix heard was laughter. Everything around him was pitch black, and only the laughter could be heard.

Then there was the image. He was a young kid. Eleven, twelve at most. Around him were various kids, his age or younger. And everyone was laughing.

He tried to move, to change what he knew was going to happen.

The trainer on the other side of the field was the only one not laughing. He ordered his Pokémon to use Icebeam.

Draconix tried to close his eyes but had to watch as Swinub jumped in to block the ice… and got thrown away. The Pokémon cried as it got flung back, defeated by that single blow. The laughter grew in pitch, everyone pointing fingers at Draconix.

The scene spin again, and now he was in an office.

"I am sorry ma'am, but he still stole school property. I won't tell the police, but he will receive proper punishment."

The woman near him nodded, and he felt her eyes on him. She was… sad, angry… and disappointed.

Everything begun to spin, and he found himself alone in the classroom. On his desk were various phrases, written with pens and markers. "Idiot." "Pig-type trainer." "Mr. Know all didn't know this."

"I didn't do anything bad. I had a theory and tested it! How is that wrong?!"

Laughter continued as he rose from his desk. Everyone was looking at him, shapeless shadows with eyes, a cackling mouth and a finger to point.

"Always the smartest." Said a voice "So smart the rest of us were never enough. Always compared to a kid." It was the voice of an older person, at least a teenager "He was always brought up by teachers. Be more like him, study like him… And everyone hated him for that. So well, when he chose to be ridiculous, everyone laughed."

The scene became clear. Draconix was looking at a young girl, two or three years her senior, talking with another girl. He was hidden behind a corner, to not be seen.

"Of course, I remember that. But isn't this going a bit too far?"

The girl slapped the other one. "You know what it's like to be told every day that you are worse than a kid three years younger? You know what it's like to be beaten by a child? I will not let you ruin this."

The other girl sniffed, her hand on her cheek. Draconix was crying. "I did not ask for this! I just love Pokémon and everything about them! Why is that so wrong?"

The girls rose up and he gasped. Swinub was tied to his desk. She had been beaten and something more. To her was tied a small paper. "I don't resist ice."

Draconix gasped and felt the world spin again.

With a scream Draconix rose from his bed. Both Raziel and Gastly were looking at him, startled. The brown-haired teen panted heavily, feeling his heartbeat thunder in his chest like a storm. After a short time, it grew slower.

For a while, no one spoke. Draconix didn't feel like it, and Raziel clearly didn't want to say anything.

After a while, though, it was Raziel that decided to break the silence. "Draconix… Does this happen often?"

"More than I care to admit. That's why I don't like to be in the same room as other people." The young man said with a sigh. "Please don't tell anyone."

"Sure… But is there anything I can do to help?"

Draconix pointed at Gastly "Does he know Dreameater?" Raziel shook his head "Then no."

Raziel closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. "Do you want to talk about it? I have had my share of nightmares, both natural and induced, but that was… different?"

"Induced?"

Raziel nodded "I live near the Pokémon Tower, Gastly come out of it regularly and their favorite game is inducing nightmares. But this is beside the point." He pointed at Draconix "There is something wrong going on with you. Does anyone else know about this?"

"My mother, a few doctors, Blue and Giuls. I don't know if they told anyone else." He sighed "I guess not, if Professor Oak chose me over anyone else." He looked at Raziel 'Fine, why not? He knows anyway. And talking about it can help according to the doctors.' He thought, then begun to speak. "I was born in Pallet, but as a kid I grew up in Johto. There is this town called Blackthorn, up in north-west Johto. Just east of here, in fact. My mother had family there, and after my father's death she wanted to move on."

"I didn't know…"

"Yes, he died when I was just one year old. I don't even remember him." Draconix said "Anyway, I went to Blackthorn pre-Trainer Academy. And I was good. Every teacher said I was going to be the strongest trainer out of Blackthorn once I joined the Academy proper. Good at tests, good fighter… Not so good at making friends."

"You were not good at making friends? I have seen you befriend at least three other trainers on our way here. You befriended me on day one!"

"Yes, this is who I am now, but I wasn't like this back in Blackthorn. I was… too focused to socialize. I spent all day reading, testing fights, and absolutely no time making friends. And when you have no friends, you only have enemies. My teachers were too loud with their praising. And so other students started to hate me."

"Something went even more wrong, right?"

"Yeah. Back then, people just ignored me, but it was no problem. Then one day I entered the Ice Path. I just wanted to see some Ice-types. And it was then that I saw a Swinub fight a Weavile. And win. Ice bounced off him with almost no damage, which is not what is supposed to happen. And I saw other Swinub from his pack do the same. That was when I thought I… had discovered a new type." Draconix shivered "I run back to the academy and started to loudly claim I had found out about this new type. The teachers tried to calm me down and explain a new type can't be discovered so easily, but it was too late. Not only I was convinced, but everyone in the school had heard about it. I was so convinced that I stole a Swinub from the school and used it to fight another Ice-type. In front of all my classmates, and more."

"I am guessing it didn't work."

"No, Swinub got defeated in a single shot. And everyone laughed." Draconix started to cry "I was just a kid, but everyone started to bully me at the same time! Older trainees, my classmates… Even the teachers and my mother were angry for my theft of the Pokémon!" He started to breath heavily, his heart racing "My life became hell. Everyone was openly mean now, since the teachers didn't have my back anymore. After a while, I couldn't go to school anymore."

"So you moved to Pallet."

"Yes, my mother realized there was nothing she could do in Blackthorn for me. I said she got angry, but is not like she hated me or anything. She was my mom after all." He smiled, a sad smile "She looked for a job in Pallet and moved back here, where we still owned my father's house. And that's how I got there."

For a while, no one spoke again. Raziel was thinking, and Draconix sighed again, falling back on his bed. He had opened up like this only once before, with Blue and Giuls. It always felt… refreshing, to tell what happened to a friend.

After a while, Raziel nodded "Well, that's… damn, I don't know what to say. Back in my school I did have a bully, and that hurt a lot, but… Well I can't imagine the entire school hating me." He turned "You know you have friends now, right? That won't happen again. Giuls and Blue are there."

"I know, I know." Draconix said with a smile "Is just my dreams that refuse to move on."

Raziel smiled "I can't really say I know what it feels like to that extent, but I was in a similar situation as a kid. If you ever want to talk again, I am here too."

Draconix nodded "Of course. Friends are for that, aren't they?" He yawned "Anyway, we better get some more sleep."

"Yeah." Raziel turned around "Good night, Draconix."

"Good night, Raziel." He replied. He turned to hide the tears on his face. For a moment he wondered if he should have told the whole truth, then shook his head. How his life in Blackthorn ended was his secret and shame, and his alone.

Giuls didn't know what exactly was going on. Bulbasaur had tied the Clefairy, and now the Pokémon was leading both of them down the mountain. In the wrong direction though.

'Are we supposed to just follow her?' She wondered, yawning. Her plan had been to simply recover the stone and be done with it. Instead, now they were dragging her in a forest on a mountainside in the middle of the night. She looked up at the moon, then turned just in time to see the two had stopped. She looked ahead and gasped. In front of them was a steep cliff, blocked by an old, broken fence. The cliff was at least fifty feet of falling down before reaching the top of the forest below, so at best about sixty feet total.

Giuls shivered looking down. "Nope, I am not going down there."

Bulbasaur looked at her puzzled. "Nope, nope, nope, no heights, no flying, I don't do that. I am not even considering…" The Bulbasaur scoffed and one of her vines tangled Giuls at the waist. She screamed as at once both Clefairy and Bulbasaur jumped down, dragging her with them.

She screamed and screamed, all the way down. Of course, rationally she knew they were floating down slowly, thanks to Clefairy's ability to use the energy of the moon to float. It was still terrifying. It was too close to flight and too close to _that_ crash.

Finally, they reached the bottom. In that moment, when she touched the ground, the girl realized she had not stopped screaming for the entire fall. Clefairy and Bulbasaur both looked at her, as she wiped tears off her face.

"I… I'm sorry." She said sobbing "Please, don't do that again. I don't… I don't like flying or falling. Or heights. Sorry…"

Bulbasaur let her waist go in a far kinder manner than she had taken her, and slowly rubbed her head against the trainer's leg. Giuls could not help but smile, wiping away more tears. It was a surprisingly nice gesture from her starter.

Clefairy waited a moment, then continued walking, followed by the two. They continued for a bit and reached a clearing in the woods… where the Pokémon gasped in shock.

Giuls could tell immediately what was wrong. Unlike most wild Pokémon, Clefairy's were capable of building, even if on a rudimentary level. They would build small hiding places deep in woods or caves, where the clan would live led by a matriarch.

But there was no one here. The "buildings" were destroyed, rocks and woods on the ground, and there wasn't a single Clefairy. The Pink Pokémon started calling, a long, sad cry of help. Bulbasaur was so surprised by how sad the call was, or at least that's how Giuls understood her reaction, that she let her go. The Clefairy begun to run around, moving the rocks and the planks of wood to find where her companions were. There were none. No Clefairy, no Clefable, neither dead or alive.

Giuls looked at the ground and called her in surprise after a few moments. Under the light of the moon it was hard to notice, but she could see a single print. A shoeprint.

"Yes, the swipe was successful." The female agent said, with a smile.

"Excellent, as expected of you. The Game Corner needed new prizes. How many do you have?" Her boss replied. She could not help but smile at the compliment, or what she interpreted as a compliment.

"Fifty… no, forty-nine Clefairy and one Clefable." She said "Some of them were dying. Apparently out first attack with that Pokémon they sent us was a bit too effective."

His boss tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. "Yes, I got similar report from the swipe on the northern edge of the Safari Zone. Stop using them until further instructions are sent."

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now, send all the captures to Celadon. We will mix them with the stolen goods."

"Yes. Speaking of that, I will also send along the ten Pokémon we stole from a few trainers."

The boss frowned "Stole from trainers? Where?"

"On Route 4 boss. No worries, we made sure it was on the southern edge, to keep inspections away from Mount Moon."

"I hope so. Send them along. How are the preparations going for the heist?"

"We will attack in two days. Can I ask why we waited so long sir?"

"Too many young trainers. Not that I don't trust the recruits we sent, but even the mightiest can be brought down by too many enemies. Speaking of that, you are being sent to a new location."

"What?!" The Lieutenant asked.

"I am sending Domino to take over your duties there. I have a bigger mission for you to take care of. If everything goes right, you will get a promotion. You know what that means."

Ariana smiled. "Yes sir."


	20. Chapter 19: Survivor

"_It was… humans?"_ Clefairy asked. It was true the attacks were weird, coming from unusually violent Pokémon that didn't stop at the usual territorial brawls, but she could hardly believe humans would go so far. She turned in anger at Bulbasaur _"This is what humans like her do?"_

"_No."_ Bulbasaur replied _"This is wrong. Our breeders thought us what rules the humans have to follow. It's important, see, because a lot of wild Pokémon don't know, so human-raised Pokémon are supposed to fill them in."_ She sighed _"Humans can't catch wild Pokémon that refuse to challenge them. If a Pokémon clearly displays fear or distress in fighting, a Trainer is supposed to stop the combat and let it go. Moreover, there is a limit to how far they can go. Catching an entire Clefairy clan is against the law. You guys aren't rare just because you don't make many eggs."_

"_Humans hunted us?"_

"_You fetched a good price as a pet. Just be glad you aren't a Farfetch'd or a Lapras." _Bulbasaur replied. _"The point is, this is not what trainers do in general. This was done by someone that had no problems going against the law."_

Giuls looked at the two Pokémon discussing something. It was hard to figure out what the argument was, but Bulbasaur was talking a lot.

Then Clefairy nodded and… sit down. Before long, she was sobbing. The sound was pitiful, probably because it came from a voice that any person would have found incredibly cute. Giuls wondered what Clefairy felt. She had just lost her entire family and all her friends.

"_Should I catch her?"_ She thought. The idea had come to her mind in a second, and now she realized she was seriously contemplating it. After all, Clefairy had attacked her. She was allowed to take her now, right? Back in school, she had always thought Clefairy was a beautiful Pokémon. Having one had been her dream for a while, after receiving a Clefairy PokéDoll from her dad. And now one was standing there…

She put her hand into her pocket and bag. Looking for what she needed.

Clefairy noticed Giuls behind her, but only when she touched her she realized the girl had something in her hand. She reflexively glared at Bulbasaur. _'All lies after all. She is just going to catch me! Humans are the worst!'_ She thought, preparing to fight back…

And in that moment Giuls put the Moon Stone and a few Berries on the ground, with a smile. "I am sorry for what happened. For what the humans did to you. I can't do much more, but with this you will be able to survive for a while and evolve when you need to. I'm sure it will be enough, if what you did to that room back at the lake was any indication."

Clefairy looked at that smile. The human was being… kind? She looked at the Moon Stone, and picked it up. She observed it closely. The pink Pokémon didn't need the object, but having it was going to make her life a lot easier. At least, if she ever needed to become stronger, she could use it. But… Was there really a human ready to just let her walk away with no problem after robbing them, attacking them, and then asking for her help?"

Giuls stood up and sighed. "Well, I guess we should go Bulbasaur. I'll have to find another way around that stonewall, then I will report everything to the Police. Hopefully they can figure out more than me." She turned again to Clefairy "Be safe, Clefairy. If I ever find out what happened to your family, I will bring them back."

Clefairy was shocked. Was that it? She was not going to catch her? Just give her that gift and leave?

"_See, there are a lot of things I don't like about Giuls." _Bulbasaur said _"She has no style, she tries to boss me around, she is boring… But I think there is one thing that's good about her. She is nice."_

"Come on Bulbasaur, we need to figure out where is a trail. I really need to sleep tonight." Giuls called with a yawn.

Bulbasaur scoffed _"See what I mean with her bossing me around? What a lousy trainer, what would she do without me?"_ However, she started walking, yawning a moment, before turning to Clefairy _"Oh, right, one sec." _The Grass-type closed her eyes and Clefairy felt the constant loss of energy she was feeling before disappear. _"There, I removed the Leech Seed. It would have come off anyway in ten minutes or so, but why waste time."_ With that, the Grass-type strolled off, following her Trainer.

Clefairy gazed at both leaving.

Two hours later, Giuls was sleeping in her bed. The owner initially had tried to kick her out, but Giuls had proven to him that she had no Pokémon capable of using an attack of that magnitude of power, and explaining what had happened at the Clefairy. Together they had called the police, and they had promised to come investigating. After that, the owner had let the girl take a room.

Bulbasaur, on the other hand, was not sleeping. She was busy thinking about what had happened that night. _'If she wanted to, she could have killed her, me, or both.'_ She thought, the image of the wiggling finger and the following explosion still in her mind. _'Makes me wonder how she knew what would come out. Metronome is random, unless I was taught something wrong.'_ She thought back to her time at the breeding center and shook her head. No, that couldn't be it. More likely, Clefairy's confidence was a gamble based on her using Metronome a lot. _'Thinking about it, there were a number of moves she could have used to cause the same, or more, damage. I guess she was just banking on any of those coming out.'_

She could remember some stories on Metronome Venusaur had taught her. The most amusing was that of a Togepi tapping into a Legendary move and using Magma Storm. Well, amusing because she was at sea. On land, she could have burned down a forest with it.

She stopped that train of thought after a quick chuckle and stared at the window, the stars fading as the night gave way to dawn. Bulbasaur worried. '_As much as I dislike a lot about her, she is my Trainer.' _She thought, pondering what to do. After her fight with that cursed Doduo, she had already given up on the idea she was perfect. That had been probably one of the hardest day of her life. She could still fee the Pokémon beaks hitting her again and again, and the sensation of blacking out. Before then, she had thought only a Fire-type like Charmander could beat her, and that was an unfair advantage. But Doduo had used mostly Normal-type moves, and she had landed a single hit. And recently she had realized how hard it was to fight even one on one tougher opponents that resisted her moves.

That second train of thought was stopped by the window creaking. She saw… a star-shaped shadow entering. Reflexively, she pretended to be asleep, only to see Clefairy, the same one they had left in the forest, breaking in. _'Well, this is quite the deja-vu.' _She chose to keep an eye on her rather than jumping on the offensive, and she saw the Pokémon open the bag and take out a Poké Ball. Then it started pressing the button over and over. Nothing happened, but Bulbasaur figured out what was going on.

"_It only works if a human is holding or throwing it."_ She explained. Clefairy jumped back with an high-pitched shriek, before regaining control. Bulbasaur chuckled at that, and the Normal-type pouted.

"_That's stupid, why can't I just catch myself?"_

"_Older models did that, but there were some problems with people setting Ball traps to avoid fighting, and ending up catching unwilling Pokémon to then sell or trade them off, scamming people. So they changed it to require an actively present human." _Bulbasaur smiled noticing the Clefairy's expression. _'I was the smartest one at the breeding center after all.' _ She thought, feeling her usual pride.

"_So how do I do this?"_

"_Can't you wait for her to wake up and catch you? We can have a good fight as well."_ The Grass-type replied _"I still want to throw you around a bit for that Fire Blast."_

"_In your dreams."_ Clefairy replied with a grin. _"But no, I'd like to just join up with you all and help her from now."_

"_Well, then we can just do this." _Bulbasaur picked up the Poké Ball with her vine and put it in Giuls' hand. Clefairy nodded and jumped on the bed, pressing the button. With a flash of light, she was absorbed. The Poké Ball moved for a few seconds, then it stopped. After another moment, Clefairy popped out.

"_Well that was interesting." _The Pokémon said, scratching her head _"Not sure what to do now."_

"_What did you do with the stuff Giuls left you?"_ Bulbasaur asked _"You might want to pick that up."_

Clefairy nodded, before showing Bulbasaur the Moon Stone "_I'll leave this here and go take everything else. If she wakes up…"_

"_Yeah don't worry, humans sleep eight hours a day if they can. Sometimes more. She isn't waking up for a while."_

"_I see. Well, I'll be back in an hour or so."_ Clefairy said, climbing out of the window again. _'I need to teach her how to use a door.' _Bulbasaur thought, taking the Poké Ball from Giuls' hand and putting it in her belt.

"Yes, a trainer confirms Clefairy group disappeared over night and another one attacked your inn. Are you sure this… Yes sir, I understand this is quite problematic. Yes I understand… Yes… Very well, we will start an investigation. Thank you." The police officer put down the phone and sighed.

"What was that about the Clefairy?" He turned to look at his colleague. They were both stuck with this turn answering the calls often, so they knew each other well.

"Ah, nothing, just some Trainer has followed a wild Clefairy that caused property damage and found out a suspect case of illegal capture on Mount Moon. Probably some idiot that thought he could make easy bucks catching Clefairy and chose to take on a clan to dodge the difficulty of their shy behavior."

"Sounds bad."

"Sounds stupid, that's what it sounds like. And a hassle to investigate. We will need to check most Pokémon transfers from Cerulean and Pewter for weeks now to try and track an unusual amount of those." He put forward a mail to the administrator of the Kanto Trade and Deposit PC Servers, then grimaced "Right, they haven't fixed yet the internet mess Team Rocket was causing."

He picked up the phone and put out a call.

"Yes, Mister Bill Veeren? Hello? Yes, I'm sorry for the late call. Yes, I know what time it is. More like an early call, right. Well, we need access to any transfer to and from Cerulean and Pewter. Yes I know that's a lot, but we need to focus on Clefairy only, so that should reduce the load. We need to verify any unusual amount of Clefairy being sent to and from the cities. Yes, including the Mount Moon Server, isn't that the same as Pewter? It hasn't been for months? Sorry, they don't really forward everything to us. Yes, thank you. Thank you, bye." He put down the phone again, and leaned back on his chair "Well, that's it. We will keep an eye on the servers. After this I will compile a file and an investigator will go out to take a look at the area. Should be easy to solve."

"Sounds good." The second one said, taking a glance at his phone and shaking his head to move a strand of black hair from his face "Sorry, I need to take a bathroom break, this thing is uncomfortable and I need some water. Think you can handle it?"

"Sure, go ahead, it's a slow night anyway." The officer said. The other one smiled and walked to the bathroom. Then he took out his phone. It ringed three times, then a voice spoke from the other side.

"Code and pass. Codename of the contact."

"I134, Cloyster17. White Vileplume."

The other side made a pause, then a female voice spoke "Yes, I134?"

"We have a problem. The Clefairy raid was discovered. Investigators will be dispatched tomorrow."

The voice on the other side paused. "How did they find out."

"I don't have the detail, someone else replied. Something to do with a Clefairy thief leading a trainer there." He replied "I will forward the full case once a report is ready."

"Do that asap. White Vileplume out." Ariana almost crushed her phone with her grasp. She stopped only because getting a new one could take a while and right now she didn't have the time "Get me Archer." She said to the voice that answered. She put a hand on the microphone and pointed to a grunt "And get me Domino, we need to make adjustments to the plan."


	21. Chapter 20: Mount, River, City

"Mount Moon time!" Shouted Draconix at full lungs, back in his cheerful demeanor. Raziel smiled. It seemed his friend was a different person at the light of day. Well, so to speak. They had entered the cave, well lit but still a far cry from the outside.

"Yeah!" He shouted in agreement, and the two laughed taking their first steps. "So how long will this take?"

"All the time we need. We are going to train until we are ready to take on not just Misty but the other Gym Leaders too." Draconix replied, opening his Poké Ball. Charmeleon and Spearow jumped out, the latter perching itself on his shoulder while the latter walked ahead, using his tail to make some extra in the cave.

"Well, sounds like a good plan." He thought and sent out Gastly. The Ghost-type seemed to like the cave a lot more than he had liked the Routes before, probably because it was completely dark except for the lights set up to mark the pathways. The thing that hit Raziel and Draconix first was the distant sounds of combat. They both smiled. That was going to be quite the experience.

Blue took a few deep breaths and then run on the bridge. The Nugget Bridge was where usually the Nugget Festival was held, but it had been postponed a bit that year, so the bridge was empty now. He smiled, glad to be allowed to experience some free time again now that he had completed his time in the hospital. He had told Draconix he would leave the city immediately after taking the badge but… "I never said anything about what I'd do before." He thought. He had a precise plan, and a single Pokémon to catch. It was maybe the only Pokémon he had set out to catch since the beginning, but he knew it was going to be a hard challenge at his level.

Abra. The bane of Psychic-type trainers that want to start their career by catching it, and of any other beginner that wants to compete in the League with an Alakazam. A wild Pokémon that spends its days sleeping and fleeing from combat. But also an excellent fighter once it evolves into a Kadabra and then an Alakazam.

The dex marked the location where Abra were more commonly found, the area north of the Nugget Bridge, known as Route 24 and 25. He couldn't figure why not marking it as a single Route, but he chose to not think too hard about it. What mattered was that on these routes he could find the ever-elusive Abra.

He opened two Poké Ball. Pidgeotto immediately soared in the sky, scouting the Route. The second Pokémon was his newest, and the one that puzzled him the most. The Rattata darted on the field, a purple arrow that moved in all directions. The third Poké Ball was there when he had checked his belt for the first time after waking up, so he could only assume the Rattata had captured himself after the whole situation. He had tried to figure out if it had been an accident, but it seemed the Pokémon wanted to come with him. '_Of course. I am awesome after all, who wouldn't want to come with me?_'

Still, the Rattata was a good Pokémon. For one, he was fast, faster than most Pokémon he had fought so far. It didn't take a genius to figure the Pokémon was going to evolve in a strong Raticate, so overall Blue was more than happy to have him. He just wished he knew how it had ended up in his team.

Rattata kept running, jumping over an Oddish emerging from the grass and dodging the weak attempt at an attack of a Weedle. He smiled. When his clan had first asked him to go with the new trainer, he had considered it a weird request. Sure, he was thankful for his help, but to send one of them with him seemed excessive. Still, he had accepted: they had an enormous debt with him, and if all it took to repay it was for him to travel with this Blue, he was gladly going to. _"It's not a bad situation either. I've not been this well fed in a long time."_

In that moment, behind a bush, he noticed the shape of an Abra. The vulpine face, the body that looked humanoid, and the long tail would have been enough to tell him what he was looking at, but the fact they were sleeping in midair was the last hint he needed. He looked up and nodded to the Pidgeotto, who immediately flew back to call Blue. _'He'll be here in a couple minutes. Don't Teleport on me, now…'_

"_Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." _A voice in his mind replied. Rattata yelped, jumping back. The Abra chuckled.

"_You know what's coming and you aren't running away? That's rare of your kind." _Rattata said after a moment.

"_Now, see, I desire to train with a good trainer. And I already had a lot of clues yours is a good one." _The Abra replied.

Rattata looked at him, puzzled. _"What do you mean?"_

"_Well, it's quite easy if you think about it. First of all, I can tell your trainer is the kind that trusts its own Pokémon. I can clearly see you and the Pidgeotto were sent to look for my kind, since I am the rarest species in this area, meaning I'm the only one you would put this kind of effort into. This tells me your Trainer believes you two were up to the task of locating me, and that he also expected you to go back. This expectation means he is also good to his Pokémon, otherwise you would be running away using this chance, so he wouldn't give it to you to begin with. You appear well fed and treated, meaning he does not underestimate how important treating you well is. Finally, the Pidgeotto appears well trained, meaning he is at least a starting trainer of good hopes. A quick show in the next battle will confirm my impression, and if it's positive I'll allow myself to be caught."_ The Abra explained, with a slight bow.

Rattata was both amazed at how good the Pokémon's deduction was, and annoyed at how easy he made it sound. _"Well you are going to be quite the addition to the team, aren't you?"_

"_Assuming I even do such a thing, yes, I trust I'll be of use."_

Rattata sighed. _"Yeah, I can see that."_ He said.

Blue followed Pidgeotto and smiled noticing Rattata pointing at an Abra. The Psychic-type appeared asleep, and Blue nodded to Rattata, who jumped in with a Bite. Abra yawned and teleported just a few steps to the left, dodging the hit. Rattata went on the offensive, unleashing more and more Bites to try and hit the mark, but every time Abra teleported just moments before being hit. The Pokémon at this point had completely woken up, now standing on the ground rather than using the telekinesis to keep itself floating while asleep. The trainer had heard that Abra couldn't act effectively if it had to multitask multiple psychic techniques, at least in the wild, so he was banking on that.

Blue smiled noting the plan could now start, and at the last second ordered a "Stronger Bite". Rattata smiled, and like they had agreed to jumped in with a Quick Attack. The Abra gasped in surprise and yelped as the impact of the blow sent it flying, landing above the River. The Pokémon gasped, as his powers had him fall down to the water. Blue smiled and sent in Pidgeotto to retrieve him, and the Pokémon spit out some water, coughing.

Blue smiled and threw a Poké Ball. The object bounced on the ground a few times, before stopping abruptly. With a smile, he picked it up and left out Abra, who immediately went back to sleep.

Blue nodded. 'Good, the plan worked as we wanted to.' He thought, with a nod to Rattata. The Pokémon had been able to follow his orders even with the little times he had to explain himself. He was going to be a good addition.

Abra read the Trainer's mind and nodded. _"Seems you made a good impression. You are welcome."_

Rattata looked at him puzzled _"So you are coming with us. You should know, my Trainer is an enemy of an organization known as Team Rocket."_

Abra nodded _"Good, if it turned out he was a member of it I'd have run off."_

"_Oh, I'm surprised a wild Pokémon knows about them."_

"_Not all do, but in this Route we had some bad experiences. Many of my good friends have been caught and taken away by them. They seem to be after rare Pokémon like us, though I don't know why."_ The Psychic-type explained with a long sigh _"But, if you are an enemy of them, I'm definitely glad to have joined in. Maybe we can figure out what happened. It's a mystery that has bugged me for a while now."_

Rattata pondered what the Abra was saying, then put a paw on his back _"Well, we are definitely going to be something else together. I'm sure Team Rocket will learn to fear the Rat and the… Humanoid Yellow Fox thing?"_ He tried, not sure what to call the Abra.

"_Psychic would be sufficient. Psi is what humans call us."_ The Abra replied _"But yes, I am sure we will be a good team."_

Pidgeotto looked at them _"Well, that was a quick friendship…"_

None of them noticed the two Trainer nearby, two in many apparently training two Golbats. "So, we just let him go?" The girl asked, her Golbat attacking with a Poison Fang. She put a hand through her short, dark hair, to try and fix their line.

"No, the boss says is nothing worth bringing unwanted attention on us, since I already took care of it." The brown haired teen replied "I sent Proton to deal with the last touches we need in the city, and Petrel is getting extra turns at the watch, so we will have the time to follow the Boss' order to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't poke his nose in any more of our plans. But the mic I put in his phone picked up enough conversations to make me say he will likely leave after beating the Gym."

"As usual, Frère, you are well prepared."

"You know it sis."

The girl chuckled, looking at him with her purple eyes "So, any plan you wish to keep me updated with?"

"Nothing really. We are almost done here in the city with the big stuff, just have to wait for the Nugget Festival and after that most of the team will leave. Guard duty can easily be taken over by just a few recruits under someone else." The male replied, as his Golbat defeated the girl's one.

"Fair enough." She said, "Who would you live in charge, Frère?"

"Why, I was thinking of my dear sister."

She smiled "Merci, I'll make sure to deserve it." The Rocket Lieutenant smiled in return and recalled his Golbat once he noticed Blue was now leaving. "Let's go." He said. Kyoku nodded and the two followed him from a distance, making sure to not be spotted.

Darken had decided to spend a few days in the great city of Celadon. Very close to Saffron, so much in fact many called it "The Commercial District of Saffron City", the City was however a magnet for trainers. The great Mall alone sold more items than most Pokémon Market in the Region combined, including various TM and the expensive Evolution Stones. And of course, there was the Nature Festival.

Each city of Kanto run a different Festival in that part of the year, with a strict date organization to make sure two events would not overlap. And in this week, it was the turn of the Nature Festival. He walked through the stand, eating some chips shaped like Oddish's leaf and with the container shaped like an Oddish. A bit weird in his opinion, but they tasted good.

'_Next, the Eevee challenge.' _He looked up. One of the building in the town was owned by an elderly man that raised Eevee for young Trainers. Usually you had to pay or have been in the Top 20 of the Celadon City Trainer Academy, but the higher ranked of his yearly Eevee Challenge, only open to new trainers, could get an Eevee for free. Of course, for Darken that was an opportunity he was not going to miss.

He entered the building and took the Elevator to the roof. Here, surrounded by only the sky and the roofs of other buildings, was a large group of trainers surrounding a group of five makeshift battlegrounds. An elder man observed them, checking his clock. After about ten minutes, he stepped on the battleground in the center. Everyone went quite at once.

"Hello everyone." He said with a slow voice, his hand scratching his short, white beard "I am glad to see so many young trainers have decided to take the challenge this year as well. The challenge is a series o fights. Each of you will fight five people, and gain three points for every victory and one point for an eventual draw. Zero points for a defeat, of course. The ten people with most points will get an Eevee. If there are more than ten people with fifteen points, all of them will receive one. Please, write your names and Trainer ID on the form and specify what Pokémon you are going to use." He pointed to a small stand with a large form on it. "Remember only Normal, Water, Fire and Electric-type Pokémon are allowed." He added. A few people gulped nervously, probably people that didn't know about that last rule.

Darken waited in line for his turn and signed. He thought a second for which of his Pokémon he should have used, then made his choice and moved aside. He counted about thirty participants. After about half an hour, the list of fights came out. The first on the list was his fight with a person named Parie.

As he walked on the field, it turned out Parie was a blue-haired girl of his same age, that bowed nervously "Th-thank you for the challenge." She said, stuttering for a second, before sending out an Elekid. Darken's eyes widened noticing the Electric-type, a rare one in Kanto, then sent out in return Tuffball. The Jigglypuff prepared itself for the fight, and Darken smiled. After a moment, the fight begun.

"So Domino, what do we do?" The recruit asked "Ariana is angry, maybe she is right."

The Blonde Rocket member observed the helicopter leave, and smiled "Mondo, when I'll want your opinion, I will ask for it."

Mondo, a young man with brown short hairs, gulped, noticing the anger on the blonde's face. When she was like this, it was better to just shut up and do as she said. "Very well, I'll tell the others."

Domino nodded, but she was still fuming. _"This is my operation, not hers. Mine!"_ She closed her eyes, then turned to Mondo "And make sure everyone is ready, I will not tolerate mistakes."

"Y-yes, Domino."

"And use my codename!"

Mondo gulped "Yes D... Black Tulip." The young man ran away, starting to shout orders.

Domino smiled _"Good, respect."_ Domino was the youngest lieutenant. Well, second youngest now, but she had been the youngest to reach the title. And now, after a year, this was her first lead of a large operation.

_"I'll do it."_


	22. Chapter 21: The Blue Girl, the Aviator

Darken observed the Elekid, pumping herself up by shadow boxing. Her trainer, on the other hand, was scared to say the least. She was visibly shivering and when she ordered Elekid to attack with Quick Attack she stuttered. Darken replied with Pound, and the two attacks impacted at almost the same time, though Quick Attack was just a moment faster, throwing Jigglypuff back.

"Alright Tuffball, Disable!" He shouted, and the Jigglypuff glared at the Elekid. Her eyes shone bright for a second, and Darken could see a faint energy surround the Electric-type for a moment.

"Th-Thuderpunch!" Shouted Parie. Elekid shook his head and darted forward, his electric punches crackling as they swung, but Jigglypuff bent down dodging the blow and then bouncing up with an uppercut Pound. Elekid fell back, barely holding on his feet. Parie shouted a new command for Thundershock, but Tuffball tanked it and pursued with one more Pound. The following Thundershock could not even fire, as a new Pound hit Elekid square in the face throwing him out of the arena.

Parie ran to recover him. Darken tried to say something, but she just bowed and left, disappearing in the crowd as other trainers moved on their battle station. "What was that?" He wondered. She looked way too worried about something like this.

He scratched his head and moved away, waiting for his following turn. The second and third battle were less eventful. The first one saw Jigglypuff fighting a Rattata, and while the speed of the opponent was a problem, a well-timed Sing stopped him. The final fight with a Growlithe was more heated, but disabling Ember forced it in a melee where Tuffball made full use of her bulk.

The Vulpix was a different story. The Pokémon dragged the fight after burning Tuffball, and in the end the Normal-type collapsed just after lending the finishing blow. Darken sighed in relief while giving her a couple Potions before the final fight. With three wins and a draw, he was still in the run for the Eevee.

The last fight had him challenge a trainer with a Poliwhirl. That one was the hardest of all. As all the enemy's moves were ranged, Disabling one did not help to bring the fight into a melee. Singing seemed equally ineffective, with the opponent launching a Bubble or Water Gun every time to stop her before she got too far into the song and he fell asleep. In the end, all Tuffball could do was rush in. She took a few Bubbles, but managed to lend enough Pounds to switch the flow of the fight in her favor, thanks to the lack of melee skill of her opponent. It was a hard-fought fight, but he came out victorious.

Darken smiled, waiting for the announcement. Four victories and a draw should have been enough to land in top ten. He could see some people walk off, probably trainers with two or three defeats that didn't want to stay. He noticed the blue haired girl in the crowd. She was trembling, but still looking up.

"Well, let's see." The elder man said "I will now call the ten names. Please come up here if I call you." Darken was called as number eight. He walked on the battleground, and was handed a Poké Ball. He smiled as the old man shook his hand. "Congratulations, kid. If you don't mind a question, which Evolution will you pick?"

Darken nodded "I was thinking to go with Jolteon."

"Ah, a good choice, speed over power but still packing a good punch. I am sure you will be successful."

Darken thanked him, and walked away returning to the crowd. Another trainer was called, a young man that thanked the elder with a deep bow and moved on. The last one was the girl. She walked up to him, clearly distressed, and thanked him profusely, with many quick bows. A few people in the crowd were chuckling.

"Well, that was it." The old man said with a smile "Thank you all for taking part in the Eevee challenge. I am sure you will all become fine trainers. Good luck to you all, I will keep an eye out for my Eevee at the League. Remember you can still buy one, if so you wish. Otherwise, farewell!"

Most people, including Darken, moved on to the lower floors, though a few stayed behind. The young man pondered the idea of buying two more Eevee and be done right there with the idea, but he just didn't feel like it. It seemed wrong to cheat his way with money. _"There are already some Pokémon that won't give me a choice, I can do without more."_

Eevee was a rare Pokémon in Kanto, but not unfindable. He was just going to wait for a lucky encounter. He left the building, moving to the Pokémon Center. And that was when he heard the voice. _"Uhm, excuse me."_ Said a voice in his head. He jumped back, surprised, and bumped into Parie. The blue girl fell to the ground, only to stand up immediately. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Sorry, sorry!"

"You… did that?"

"Y-yes. I…" _"I am a psychic." _A voice said in Darken's head. Now that he could compare them, the voice in his head and the one he heard from the girl were almost the same, though the former was more mature, without the stuttering and uncertainty of the latter. "I-I am not…" _"I am not good with words since I was young, but I wanted to ask something."_

Darken was a bit surprised. Psychic powers were not unheard of, with a few big names in Pokémon Battling like Sabrina or Cosmo having them, but the idea of meeting one just like this was… Surprising, to say the least.

"Y-yeah." _"Yeah, I know, it's surprising to meet one. But I just wanted to ask if you could give me a few tips. You were pretty good and I was hoping that…"_

Darken didn't know what to say. "Well, I'm sorry, but I have been a trainer for two weeks, and I still have one medal. I don't know how I can teach you anything."

"Oh. Oh, o-of course." She said, still mumbling. Darken could not feel her thoughts anymore, meaning she had probably decided to stop using her powers. "S-Still, can I at least get some comments on our fights? I-I need tips."

Darken thought about it, trying to figure out what to say "Well… The Elekid is strong. Is just that you should try to be faster at giving your orders. Either that, or you need to work with Elekid to make sure he reacts to each move while you are still saying it. Can't you use telepathy?"

"N-no, I'm not that good. I was born with this ability because of my uncle, but it only works on humans. I can't even hear full sentences back, just…" She bit her lower lip, probably unsure on how to continue, if at all.

"Well, then I guess you will have to try with something else. Sorry, I really don't have much advice to give. Maybe you should ask a Gym Leader? The Saffron Gym one is a good choice."

Parie nodded "Y-yeah, of course, thank you. Good luck." And with that and a few deep bows she left, disappearing off a corner.

Darken scratched his head "Well, this isn't what I expected. A meeting with a Psychic, and one that hasn't specialized in Psychic-type at that…" He wondered if there was anything else he could do, but in the end figured it wasn't the case. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't have a lot of advice to give. With a sigh, he returned to walk to the gym.

Parie brought her hands to her face, after stopping in another corner, and cried.

"Why am I like this?" She asked, sobbing. Not even able to hold a simple conversation without resorting to telepathy, stuttering and then having to leave.

She felt a light touch to her side, and watched Elekid gently tap her leg. She smiled, though still crying. At least she had Elekid.

"Hello, missy." A voice behind her said. She turned, thinking maybe it was the other trainer, that Darken, but instead he noticed a man in his fourties, with dark hair and a stern look. "I didn't want to overhear, but you said you need some help, right? I can give some tips if you wish."

Parie didn't know what to say. She could feel no negative emotion from the other trainer, neither towards her nor towards Elekid. He seemed to think he could actually help her. "W-well… If you can…"

"Excellent!" He said, with a smile "Follow me. I'll present you my companions. Don't worry about the Elekid, I understand following random strangers is unsettling. If you want him ready to punch me, I will not begrudge you."

"W-why…" _"Why do you want to help me?"_ She asked, reflexively resorting to telepathy. The man surprisingly wasn't startled in the slightest.

"Well, you remind me of one of my best subordinates. That's it really. You need some help, and we can give it to you."

"_Who is, 'we'?"_

He shook his head "Everything when the time is right. For now, let it be enough to know I am a person with enough wealth and knowledge to help you. I can tell you have potential, more than the other kid. You will be an excellent addition to my companions."

"Th-Thank you, mister…"

The man smiled, a genuine smile as she could tell from his thoughts "Please, call me Giovanni."

Gastly dodged a Wing Attack and hit with a Lick. The Zubat fell, his wing paralyzed, and a moment later was thrown back by a Night Shade.

"Good job Gastly! You are getting a lot faster at firing the Night Shade." Raziel said, and Gastly smiled at the praise.

"_Yeah, good job Gasball." _The Zubat said from the ground _"Don't mind me, I'm just gonna lie here, please, keep smiling at the praise."_

"_Oh now don't be that melodramatic, you challenged us." _The Gastly said, but he shaped some of his gas like an arrow and pointed at the Zubat. Raziel jumped in, handing him a Cheri Berry. _"Better?" _

The Zubat took flight immediately, and nodded _"Yeah, sure, thanks."_

"_No problem. Make sure to challenge someone more on your level next time, though."_

The Zubat scoffed, but Gastly could tell the wild Pokémon was not angry. If anything, Gastly figured he was disappointed. When he had challenged them, he was probably hoping to find a trainer, but Raziel had not even tried to catch him.

In that moment, he noticed four figures coming closer. One was Draconix, followed by Charmeleon and Spearow. With them was another trainer of their age, a tall, blonde haired man with an aviator hat and matching goggles. _"Oh good, one of those types." _He had seen a bunch of weird trainers in that trip, and he could tell that most people with a gimmick going on in their clothing were weird. He glanced back at Raziel, with his almost full black. _"Yeah, that's a good assessment."_ He figured.

"_So, how is it going, Gasball?" _Spearow asked, landing near him.

"_I… why does everyone call me Gasball today?"_

"_Because you are?"_

"_I am a ball of gas possessed by a naturally occurring wild soul, thank you very much."_

Spearow chuckled _"Sure, but still, the ball of gas is there. So, my question?"_

"_Going well. I am getting better at firing Night Shade, I don't need to hold eye contact anymore at least. It's still a bit on the slow side."_

"_Good, good." _The Pokémon said _"Nothing else?"_

"_Alright, you have been weird since you landed near me. What's going on here?"_

Spearow smiled, without answering, but Charmeleon moved closer and answered for him _"The aviator trainer says he is about to evolve."_

Gastly had to take a double take at the new information "_You what? Wait, how does he know?"_

"_Apparently he is a specialist in Flying-type. You should see his Fearow, its amazing. He says that if I was a wild one and have been training since, I should evolve tomorrow or the day after."_

Gastly felt a slight jealousy. Charmander had already passed him, evolving, and now Spearow was too? Then he shook his head. _'Arceus' sake, I'm a Gastly not a Mimikyu, I'm not supposed to be envious.' _He thought. He looked up at the trainer with blonde hair. Raziel now had moved closer.

"Hi." The Ghost trainer said "I'm Raziel."

"Pleasure to meet you." The Flying-type trainer replied with a smile "I'm Orville, but call me Orv. I'm traveling back to Pewter and met Draconix here with two potential Flying-types."

"Potential?"

"Well, Charmeleon isn't yet." Draconix said.

"No, but he will be. Unless you go for the X-megaevolution eventually, which I don't suggest. A bit too heavy. Though I only saw it in a few fights online, so I'm not speaking from experience. Still, the Y looks a lot better." He said, passionately. Raziel could tell Orville was a lot like him, a trainer extremely interested in a single type and completely focused on it.

"Well, I won't really have a Flying-type I fear. I'm a Ghost specialist, or at least I aim to become that."

Orville studied Gastly from where he was. Clearly, he wasn't that interested, that Raziel could tell easily, but he still replied politely "Yeah, sounds like you won't have a Flying one any time soon. There's one called Oricorio from Alola, and I guess Drifblim counts too? I prefer winged Flying-types personally, though Drifblim has its charm."

Raziel nodded "Yeah, it's a good one. I really hope I run into a Drifloon sooner or later."

Draconix looked surprised "Well, I have never seen one, but I know it's one of those balloon shaped things? Children kidnappers…"

"No, that's an urban legend." Orville replied "It can't drag away a kid unless the kid lets him do it, or if it's a group. They got that sad rumor from the fact they look like balloons so sometime kids play with them by mistake, and from a few cases where they were sighted near dead children, but after all they absorb souls, so…"

Raziel nodded. _"He really knows his stuff."_

"I swear, Ghost-types are creepy. No offense, Raziel."

"Well, they are, but that's what's fascinating." Raziel replied with a smile "Strong and fascinating, what more to ask."

Orville nodded "Yeah, though I still prefer Flying types. They are the strongest ones, in my opinion."

"Well, at least I can say I like my Pokémon." Draconix said "They are both very good. Charmeleon is getting the hand on his new reach really well." He smiled to them, both Pokémon busy talking with Gastly.

"Well, so is Gastly."

Orville scratched his chin "I wonder, which of them is stronger? I'd bet on the Charmeleon, no offense."

Raziel and Draconix looked at each other, and smiled. "You know." Raziel said "We are pretty deep in the cave."

"Yeah there isn't much of a point in going further today, we should set up camp."

"And once we do that…" They both smiled even more, and Raziel continued "One versus one, Charmeleon and Gastly."

"Sure. Want to add a bet?" Draconix asked. Raziel thought about it for a second then nodded. "Good, if I win… You have to catch one more Pokémon before the League."

Raziel gasped "You wouldn't…"

"I will. Come on Raziel, throw me your bet."

"Fine, if I win… You catch a Gastly in Lavender Town and train it. And take back the thing about Ghosts being creepy." He said, extending his hand.

Draconix nodded and shook the hand "You have a deal!"

Orville smiled. Young trainers, so young and naïve…


	23. Chapter 22: Rocambolesque Rocket Raid

Raziel sent out Gastly, the Ghost floating in position on his side of the cave. They had set up camp in a larger cave, one with other six or seven trainers nearby. They weren't the only ones still training, so a battle between the two wasn't going to bother anyone. Orville had agreed to act as the referee, just in case they needed one.

Raziel studied Charmeleon, pondering how strong the Pokémon was compared to Gastly. He was confident his Ghost could take on the Pokémon one on one, but he did remember that the Fire-Type had won the Gym Battle at a disadvantage. _"I might have to aim for the Hypnosis first."_ He thought.

While they were preparing, a group of other trainers moved closer, to take a look. A few of them went to talk with Orville. "Ehi, Orville. Have you heard? It happened again."

"Damn, really?" The blonde trainer said, surprised "I had heard yesterday some Clefairy tried to rob the Trainer House, so I figured that was the big heist. I guess I was wrong?"

Raziel was puzzled at that, not understanding what they were talking about "Is something the matter?"

Orville looked back at him, and suddenly at his bag. "Nothing really, just something going on with some thieves. Healing items disappear from the bags of various trainer lately. Some people get in serious trouble because of it."

Raziel nodded. Sometimes it happened, in areas with a lot of wild Pokémon, although he had not heard of Mount Moon having stuff like that happening. Due to the almost continuous stream of Trainers, the Pokémon in the area tended to be either well behaved or hide from humans.

"Yeah, I got robbed too." Said one of the people "Lost all my Potions and Antidotes, it's really something."

Draconix, who had been listening, moved closer as well "But why would they steal those? They are made to be used by humans on the Pokémon, and there are only a few Pokémon that can do it on each other without wasting most of it."

"No idea." Orville said "Maybe it's just something shiny they like, or maybe they drink it. It's not toxic or anything."

The other trainers nodded, then the blonde one clapped his hands "Anyway, we have a bet to settle. Gastly versus Charmeleon!"

A few of the people nearby cheered, and Raziel and Draconix placed themselves on the opposite sides of the cave, Gastly and Charmeleon in front of each other. Both Trainers and Pokémon looked at the public for a moment. The two humans had a bit of experience from the Academy in dealing with onlookers, so they could shut them off decently, but for the Pokémon it was a new experience. "Don't worry about it Gastly! Focus on Charmeleon!" Raziel shouted, and he could hear Draconix doing the same. Both Pokémon nodded and turned to their opponent.

"Go!" Shouted Orville. Both Trainers did not lose a second. Raziel called immediately for Hypnosis, and Gastly darted forward. In response, Charmeleon ducked with his eyes closed and fired an Ember upwards. The Ghost dodged most of it, but parts of his gas lit up and sparked off.

"_Good, nothing major." _Raziel thought. This was actually his first time fighting a Fire-type, and even dealing with a long ranged attack was somewhat new. As Gastly dodged a series of Embers by phasing, he chose his next move. "Jump in close and go for Night Shade." He shouted.

Gastly nodded and phased through the following Ember, looking straight in the eyes of the lizard. Charmeleon, startled, could not dodge the following shadow, and screeched. At Draconix' call, he took a few quick steps back and raised his guard, before unleashing more Embers.

"_He wants to keep the distance. But why? Those Breaking Claws should be able to…"_ Then Raziel had a realization. "Gastly, keep pushing in."

Gastly nodded and moved forward, rolling to dodge a first Ember and a second one, before phasing through a third and hitting with Lick, though Charmeleon ducked and the attack only hit the horn. Then he quickly moved his neck to aim upwards, firing a stream of Embers before rolling back to gain a distance. The attack was successful and Gastly had to float at a distance again.

"_He doesn't know if the Breaking Claws work on a Ghost, and taking the risk to try it out would leave him open if they don't."_ He realized in that moment. _"Of course! This is his first time fighting a Ghost! We are evenly matched here."_ He nodded and ordered Gastly to jump forward and hit with one more Night Shade.

Charmeleon jumped back, keeping his eyes low on Gastly's main body. He ducked under the shadow, that narrowly missed him, and turned up unleashing a stream of Ember. Gastly took the blow and in response turned basically inside out, his face emerging from his body rather than him turning around.

"_Ok, when did you learn how to do that?" _He asked, startled, as the Ghost's tongue darted to his face. He felt his left eye close, and realized the eyelid was paralized. _'Shit.' _He thought, turning to expose his right flank to Gastly rather than risking his now blind left.

"_It's easy when all your organs are made of gas." _Gastly replied, and looked in his eye. Charmeleon closed it, and then a Night Shade slammed into his flank, throwing him back.

Draconix pondered his options. There was no point in using Scratch, and Night Shade was not affected by Growl if he remembered right. Lick was, but that move was meant to paralyze more than cause damage. His intentions had been to use a barrage of Ember to keep out of the area of effect of Night Shade and the reach of Lick, but that wasn't an option anymore.

"Breaking Claws!" He shouted. Charmeleon darted forward, his claws cutting through the gas. The effect was similar to other attacks he had seen. Laceration came to mind, though not as powerful. Still, it meant one important thing. _"We can do this."_

Charmeleon seemed to have the same realization and roared viciously, jumping forward and unleashing an Ember. Gastly fumbled back, still startled, and the Ember impacted against his gaseous body, sparks flying off and the smell of burning gas growing. The Pokémon responded preparing for a Night Shade by locking his eyes on the opponent's, as Raziel gave a command, but it was too slow. With a last impact, the Breaking Claws sliced through the Gastly's body.

The Pokémon stood still for a second, then both fell loudly to the ground.

The crowd remained silent for a second. "What happened?" Asked someone.

Orville moved closer, and Raziel shook his head. "I lost."

Draconix looked at him for a second. "What…"

Orville in response pointed to Gastly, clearly out, and then to Charmeleon, snoring. "The last attack from Gastly was Hypnosis, not Night Shade. Seems it took effect just an instant too late. That Ember Charmeleon used before burned Gastly and that knocked him out just after the last attack. Congratulations."

Raziel moved forward, his hand extended "Damn, I guess that's one to zero for you. I'll have to get back at you for that." He said with a smile.

Draconix smiled back, shaking his hand "Well, I guess so. So, what are you going to catch?"

Raziel shook his head while opening his bag to heal Gastly "I don't know yet. Hopefully, I can run into some Ghost before the League. Otherwise… Eh, I'll think about it when the time comes."

"Come on now, don't be that gloomy!" Orville said, smacking him on the back. Raziel gasped and Draconix, Orville and a few others chuckled "I'm sure you'll find some other Pokémon."

Raziel nodded, and continued to look in the bag. "That's weird, I could swear I had still a few Potions and that Revitalizer I found…"

"Wait, I have one too, let me just take it out." Draconix said, opening his own bag. The two searched for a while, then they had the same realization.

All their healing items had disappeared.

And then they heard the footsteps.

Domino nodded as her men swarmed the Trainer House, knowing the same scene was happening at the Pokémon Center. She could see a few Trainers still holding their own, the most noticeable an Onix smacking away various Rattata with an hit from his tail. Still, the fight was five to one. They had picked the perfect day, right after the time of year when most Trainers moved between Pewter and Celadon. That meant right now only strugglers were left in Mount Moon, isolated groups that could easily be swarmed.

Of course, she had also made use of Athena's groundwork. He looked at Mondo, the Trainer counting a series of Meowth as they left numerous items on the ground. "I'd say we stole a pretty good amount." He said, "The markers worked well, they knew exactly what to take." He pointed at the Revitalizers, a noticeable pile "Look, they even prioritized those." He picked up the closest Meowth and started to scratch the ears "You did right? Yes you did, yes you did… Who's a good thief? Yes you are…"

"If you are done, we have to go." She said, struggling to keep herself from laughing. Mondo blushed and put down the feline, that scoffed before running to his companions. Mondo and a few other Grunts called the Pokémon back, and quickly picked up the various items, before nodding. "All done, Lieutenant Domino."

"I said Black Tulip. Try to be professional Mondo."

"Yes, Lieutenant Black Tulip."

Domino nodded "Good. Now, remember, we did a decent job, but stealing is a side work. Our main job is the recovery of the objective. I want everyone to move in fast. Do not forget what we are here for. If anyone attacks us, prioritize escape and leave it to the other grunts. You all have a Pokémon with Dig with you. If at any point you need to, leave the cave by opening a side exit. Remember you are the only ones briefed on the mission's true intent, besides a few commanders. If any of you is captured, you are to shut your damn mouth. We have lawyers to get you all out of jail, so don't even think that making a deal with the police is a good idea. Am I clear?"

The ten Grunts, six females and four males, nodded. Mondo did the same.

"Good. Let's go!" She shouted, and she lead her group inside Mount Moon.

"Anyone has an Awakening?!" Draconix shouted, holding the sleeping Charmeleon "Spearow, dodge and go for the Zubat! Leave the Golbats alone!"

Spearow was doing his best to focus on the smaller enemies, but ignoring the giant bats and their mouths big enough to devour him whole was proving harder than expected.

The bird looked around the room. Draconix, Raziel and other trainers had moved to the back of the cave pulling out all their Pokémon in hopes to hold on the attack. There were about fifty Pokémon on their side, which would have usually been good, if it wasn't for the fact that most were weakened and they were outnumbered. Without healing items, they could only do so much to hold up. He was one of the better ones. The Ghost was out cold and Charmeleon, even if he woke up, could barely hold up after his fight. _"Of course, Flametail had to go and drop all on me, why not."_

Spearow dodged a Bite by a feather – literally, as he saw a feather from his head stuck in the Golbat's mouth – and hit a Zubat with Peck, pushing it right in the line of fire of a Growlithe's Ember. He nodded at the Pokémon and flew off.

He heard a sound from behind, and turned to see a Golbat's fang come down on his body. Spearow yelped, to slow to change direction… and then the Pokémon seemed to block, and fell to the ground, paralyzed. Now in front of him was a barely conscious Gastly. _"You… Ok?"_

"_Y-Yeah. How are you even up?"_ He asked. Gastly smiled.

Raziel looked up to see Spearow fight against various Zubat and Golbat. Next to him, a Pidgeotto fell to the ground, disappearing inside his Poké Ball as his trainer recalled him. He felt useless, trembling. If only he could help. If only Gastly could get up…

"Ehi!" A voice shouted nearby. Raziel turned to see a red-haired trainer of his same age with an Oran Berry and what looked like a candy, dressed in old fashioned clothes.

"What is it?" He asked.

"My best Pokémon are out, and have been for a while." The redhead explained "And I honestly think you are better than me. Your fight was pretty good. Here, take it."

Raziel looked at the blue packaging of the candy. "A… Rare Candy?"

"It's a special medicine. It will wake up Gastly, then give him the Oran Berry!"

Raziel looked at the candy again, closely "Are you sure you don't want to help?"

"Listen man I have a Magikarp and a Kakuna, neither capable to evolve… yet. You think I CAN help in this situation?!" He asked, pointing to the swarm of Rattata, Raticate, Zubat, Golbat, and the occasional Ekans and Drowzee fighting in the room.

Raziel nodded and opened the Ball. Gastly came out and he immediately shoved the Candy in his mouth. The sweet disappeared in his mouth. A second later, Gastly's eyes opened and the Pokémon darted back up, like someone had turned on a switch.

"Now the Berry!" The other one said. Raziel shoved the Oran Berry in Gastly's body directly, and the Pokémon seemed to recover a bit more. With a nod, it flew off to fight.

Raziel turned "Thank you for… That…" And as Raziel thanked him, he saw there was no one there. He looked around, to no avail. Whoever that guy had been, he had left immediately to another area of the battlefield.

Gastly was pretty angry. His first serious fight since the Gym had ended in his defeat, because of a burn at that. He dodged a Wing Attack and responded with a Night Shade, watching in satisfaction as the Golbat fell to the ground. Near him, a Spearow – not the one he knew, pointed to the next one and Gastly nodded. The Flying-type flew in, dodged the Wing Attack, and Gastly paralized that same wing. The giant bat plummeted to the ground, to find itself in the line of fire of a Bellsprout's Wrap. The vines surrounded it completely, making it a sitting target for a Meowth's Fury Swipes.

Gastly had already moved on to the next enemy, aiming at a Drowzee with the same Spearow and a Pidgey. The Psychic-type aimed at the ghost a Confusion, but Gastly stopped at the last second and the two Flying-types went down with a Peck and a Tackle. As they did, a Raticate jumped and used Hyper Fang, throwing the Drowzee out of the fight.

He moved on, returning to where the Trainers were forming their group. As he did, Spearow flew closer. This one was Draconix'. _"You ok?" _He asked, panting heavily.

"_One hit and I'm out, what do you think?" _Gastly said.

In that moment, they both heard a familiar Growl. They looked down to see Charmeleon jump in the field, finally awake, either because someone had finally found an Awakening or a berry to heal it, or because the Hypnosis had worn off.

His tail was shining brightly and his Ember completely defeated an Ekans with a single blow. Same destiny for the Rattata that tried to jump him.

"_That's Blaze, right?" _Gastly asked.

"_Probably, right now Flametail is going all out. You gave him a good match, he is very close to fall." _

Gastly sighed _"Any brilliant idea?"_

The Pokémon shook his head _"Just knock them all out."_

Gastly laughed _"Of course."_ And the two moved closer to Charmeleon and their trainer, launching themselves against more enemies.

Then, with a rumble, a charge of wild Pokémon broke into the room.

"What?!" Raziel shouted, as more and more wild Pokémon broke into the room. The vast majority were Paras and Parasect, the dead eyes of the giant bugs staring blindly at the Rocket members as they released spores.

"It's the wild Pokémon! They are rallying against the Rockets?" A trainer shouted, before noticing his Pidgeotto flying straight in a cloud of spores and begin to fall, asleep.

"They don't make a distinction, I fear!" Another replied, "We probably disturbed them with all the ruckus! Move away from that side of the room!"

The Parasect charged forward with the Paras supporting them by crawling on walls and , and now the Rockets were at a disadvantage, their Pokémon dropping asleep, falling to poison or being paralyzed.

"Ahah, take that!" A voice shouted. Raziel recognized the redhead trainer's voice, but he could not see him in the crowd, or hear him anymore over the cheers and shouts. Most Pokémon had retreated back to their trainers, either getting healed with the few items remaining or just recalled in the Poké Ball to rest.

Raziel looked in amazement as the Rockets spread off, disappearing into the cave. He felt a furious anger as they left behind a good number of their Pokémon, either to slow the Parasect's pursuit or because they were out. The other trainers cheered, as the wild Pokémon disappeared off into the caves, either retreating or pursuing the Rockets.

As he looked at them, Raziel recognized Orville and a few others running as well, behind the Team Rocket. _"Are they pursuing them?!"_

"Wait, Orville!" Draconix shouted "Damn! He is going after them."

"Why?!" Raziel asked "It's suicidal."

"No, he still had a few healing items, and his Pidgeot is pretty strong, I saw it fight on the other side of the Cave with a lot of Golbat, and has taken with him other trainers that were doing better. But still…" Draconix clenched his fist "I'm going after him. We need to help him."

Raziel looked at him with his mouth open wide "Are you crazy? This is suicidal! We barely made it out of that raid!"

"And if we don't, what will you do if he gets beaten?!" Draconix shouted angrily, his eyes flaming "He was kind to us. He helped Spearow, gave me tips about training him once he is a Fearow! Should we just abandon someone like that?"

"And what good is that going to do? We run after them with our Pokémon almost down, our Pokémon are taken out, and we become a problem!"

Draconix tried to fine a reply, then shook his head "Please Raziel. If something goes wrong we run away. Please. I don't want to abandon someone. Please."

Raziel thought for a second of what to say. _'Coward…'_ A voice said in his head, that man's voice… "Fine, I'm coming too. This is a stupid idea but at least not as stupid if we both go." Raziel sighed, looking at Gastly, who was looking at him puzzled "Don't give me that look, I know it's wrong. If things get bad, we run for our lives." Gastly sighed, but after a moment nodded.

Draconix smiled, putting his arm around his shoulder "You really are the best, man."

"Don't try to flatter me and let's go. With any luck, we get to Orville after Team Rocket is gone." The Ghost trainer replied. With a nod, they both left the cheers behind and followed the steps of the retreating Rockets and their pursuers.


	24. Chapter 23: Tulip, Tauros, Remains

Raziel and Draconix proceeded down the cave, with Spearow scouting ahead. The lights thankfully were still on, so Charmeleon and Gastly had been allowed to return in their Poké Ball and rest as much as they could. It would not heal them, but at least it would help with fatigue.

The steps of the Rocket members and the trainers that had followed them were clearly recognizable on the dusty and humid floor of the cave, and if that wasn't enough there was a trail of defeated Paras and Parasect to follow. Clearly, with the Pokémon spreading out, Team Rocket was able to defeat their pursuers. There were also various Rattata and Zubat, likely the Rocket's own Pokémon, defeated and left behind. Raziel felt his blood boil at the sight. _"How can you just abandon a Pokémon that was ready to fight for you?" _He asked himself. Then shook his head _"It's probably better for them, now they can find an actual trainer or go back to the wild."_

As he was pondering that, they came down to a split in the tunnel. One seemed to go further underground, while the other was the same one Raziel and Draconix had come from. The tracks were weird there, mixing together before splitting in both directions. There were also a few coming from the other way.

"They met up here with someone else and then split up?" Draconix tried to guess, "But I don't see what's the point. They already lost, didn't they?"

Raziel scratched his head "More importantly which way do we go? I can't tell shoes apart, much less in this mess."

Draconix looked down the tunnel, then to the normal road "If I was a betting man…"

"You want to go down there, don't you?"

"So what?" Draconix replied. Raziel in response pointed his finger to a sign, broken down, with 'Do not trespass' written in great letters. Draconix simply shrugged "If anything that makes it more likely, for Team Rocket."

Raziel sighed "Fine, let's go. I swear if they kill us, I'll haunt you."

"Can you even haunt another ghost?" Draconix asked, taking the first step down the descending tunnel.

"I assure you I will try my best." Raziel replied. The two begun to follow the tunnel. It was smaller than the main one, and quickly became very steep. The lights on the wall were also growing dimmer, which only made Raziel feel less at ease. It was one thing to like ghosts and haunted houses, another to enter an unknown cave. _'What am I doing…'_

He was about to ask Draconix to turn around, when the tunnel started to grow in size again. The area seemed to be currently under construction, as proved by various rocks still undug and items like pickaxes and shovels lying around. More importantly, they could here talking ahead.

They snuck in, hiding behind various stalagmites and columns. They could see that whoever was working in the cave was likely collecting fossils, judging from the few lying around. As they moved on, they finally saw some people. Ten or so men and women were on the floor, tied, while various Rocket members were examining what appeared to be rocks.

The leader of the Rockets seemed to be a blonde haired girl, who was currently talking with an older man with glasses, tied in front of her. "Come now, this can be easy or hard. We just want that fossil and we will be on our way. We will even untie you all."

The man scoffed "I told you, we have nothing like that! It's all Kabuto or Omanyte! We already sent the Aerodactyl remains to the museum!"

She slapped him, and the two could hear the sound from there "Liar! I know you found one."

He gritted his teeth "I don't know what you are talking about."

She slapped him again "Give me the fossil and solve this. Can't you see it's the easy way out?"

The older man coughed "Listen, Brock will be here any second now. You would be better off…"

"Now don't try to lie, mister." She replied with a smirk "We both know Brock is too busy those days to even take a walk, let alone coming to Mount Moon for his research. It's that time of year where all the trainers from Cerulean reach Pewter, you think he has any time to visit you?"

The man now seemed worried "I told you, we don't have what you are looking for!"

"Doctor Fuji seemed to think otherwise."

Raziel's interest perked up. _'Uncle Fuji? What does he have to do with Team Rocket?' _

Now the man was clearly worried. The young blonde kicked him in the sheen and laughed at his pained expression. "Fine then, keep your secrets. We will see if one of your friends knows more."

"Wait, don't…" He begun, but a brown-haired man a couple year older than Raziel and Draconix grabbed him and forced him down.

"Mondo, make sure he watches." She said. She picked up a younger researcher and forced her to kneel, grabbing her finger "Where is the fossil?"

"I don't know."

"Professor?" The blonde-haired asked, looking at the older man.

"You won't…" He begun, then there was a snap and the other researcher cried in pain, her finger bent unnaturally.

"Wrong answer. But don't worry, we have ninety fingers to go through."

Draconix was about to jump up, but Raziel stopped him "Wait, idiot!" He whispered, worried.

"Are you fucking with me right now? Can't you see that?!" He said back in a whisper.

"And have you noticed their Pokémon?" He asked, pointing up. A few Koffing were floating above the prisoners "Those are bombs, moron. If we do anything stupid, we are done, they'll explode and kill us."

"Would they really do that?" He asked, but as he said that, another cry of pain resounded in the cave. Raziel felt his blood boil, barely resisting the urge to jump up himself. Instead, he thought. "Where are Orville and the others?"

"Maybe they went the other way, or…" And then they heard another cry. They looked back up to see a second finger bent like the first, and the professor sighed "Fine, I'll tell you! Please…"

"Less speaking, more explaining."

"It's in the safe! We were going to bring it to Cinnabar next month."

The Rocket's leader smiled "Where is the safe?"

"Is it this one?" A new voice said from deeper in the cave. A man emerged, clutching a small red safe.

Raziel and Draconix both gasped seeing Orville holding it with a satisfied smile.

Domino was disappointed. Not angry of course – their main objective was in front of them – but disappointed. First of all, she had taken too long to find the safe on her own, and Ariana's grunt had beaten her to it. Second, because of the failure to steal some Pokémon from the camp next to the cave. She knew the trainers had some interesting ones, and she was curious to put her hands on some new merchandise. It wasn't the main mission, but still disappointing. _'Well, no battle plan survives contact with the enemy.'_

"Green Tauros, let him go and start working with the safe." She said. Mondo nodded, letting the professor free – well, free from his grip, he was still tied – and walked to the safe, examining it carefully.

"It's a pretty good model. Not a lot of people can break it open."

"Can you?"

"Too much work." He simply said, opening a Poké Ball. The Raticate that came out begun to immediately bite the safe's lock. After a while, with a crunch, the metal gave way, and the safe's door opened slowly, the lock divided from the rest of it. "For smaller safes, this is the best way." He said patting Raticate on the head "Good girl, tonight extra ration." He said. The Raticate scratched her nuzzle against Mondo's hand, and then got retrieved.

Domino absently let the female researcher go and looked inside. A few gold nuggets, documents she had no need of, and… "Bingo." She said satisfied, taking out a rock, about the size of her fist. The fossil was a skull. It looked like the skull of a Persian, but smaller and without the sharp teeth. Exactly as described.

"A Mew, excellently preserved." She said "Quite the result for the scientific community of Kanto, am I wrong? Pity it's going to disappear."

"This is the first fossil of a Mew we have found on this level of conservation, a treasure for future generations of paleontologists and our understanding of the origin of Pokémon! Before this the biggest piece was…"

"An eyebrow fossilized in a piece of amber. Yes, I am aware." Domino replied with a smile, "An eyebrow that was lost in an unfortunate accident when the laboratory caught fire."

"You didn't…" The scientists begun, but Domino glared at him.

"No, we didn't. That was a problem for us too. Anyway," She continued with a smile "We are done here."

The blond man nodded, gesturing to a few other Rocket. "Get the Koffing in position."

The Professor gasped "What?"

Domino stared at him, studying him "What do you mean?"

"We have specific orders. There can't be survivors ratting out about us taking the skull. They will die in an unfortunate incident and the safe and its content be lost forever. It's the logical thing to do." He said.

"Those are not Giovanni's order. We take the skull and go."

"Those are the orders I have. You are not my commander."

"Who…"

Then one of the other grunts called, a worried look on his face "Sir, the Koffing aren't moving."

Gastly smiled, as the last paralyzed Koffing stared at him filled with hatred. _"You son of a…"_

Gastly interrupted him with a chuckle _"I'm the son of some ghost and yes, she might have been that. Hard to say. Now shut up, mr. Bomb."_

Then he heard shouts from the humans below, and noticed Raziel gesturing to him to disappear before they figured out what was going on. He dutifully obeyed, slipping back into the rocks.

"Right, that stopped the Koffing for a bit, what now?" Asked Draconix.

"We save them." Raziel replied, explaining the rest of his plan.

"Will this actually work?" The brown-haired trainer asked.

"Only one way to know." The Ghost Trainer replied.

Draconix sighed "Know what, if it works, I'm letting you off the hook for that bet. This is enough of a pay back."

"And suddenly I have one more reason to pray this goes well." Raziel replied. He knew that was Draconix attempt at lifting his morale, and was just thankful for that.

Draconix sent Spearow forward. With all the Grunts busy trying to figure out what was wrong with the Koffing, no one noticed the Pokémon flying above them… until it snatched the skull of Mew and flew away.

There was a second of deafening silence, as Spearow disappeared with the skull in the tunnel, then both the girl and Orville shouted orders. The same order. "Get him!"

All the Rockets run off, Orville first. Raziel and Draconix both glared at him from their hiding spot, but remained sit. Only Mondo and Domino were left in the cave, aside from the prisoners and a few paralyzed Koffing. _'Please, please, please…'_

And then the figure of a Mew appeared in the back of the cave. Both Domino and Mondo were startled, and the scientists were outright stupefied. The Pokémon was surrounded by sparks of fire, and appeared exactly identical to the descriptions. Long tail, pink body, large eyes, the head of a feline…

"Take it!" Domino shouted. The Mew chuckled and flew off, in the cave, the sparks disappearing, followed by the two. As soon as he was sure the two were gone, Draconix and Raziel jumped out from their hiding spot, while Charmeleon popped up from behind a rock near where the Mew had appeared.

"Who are you?" Asked the professor, as he begun cutting their ties, while Draconix and Charmeleon did the same to the other. Draconix also took out some bandages and a few sticks to help the wounded researcher.

"We are here to help. Quick, let's get out of here!" Raziel replied.

"But Mew…"

"There is no Mew. I showed Gastly the drawing on the Pokédex and the description, and he made the best impression he could with his illusions. The sparks were Charmeleon's Ember. We have only a minute or so before they realize what we did. Do you have any healing item?"

"Y-yes, there is a first aid kit for Pokémon back there. Ten or so potions, a few revitalizers…"

"Thanks, Arceus." Raziel said, while Draconix run to recover the object. "Do you have any Pokémon able to fight?"

"A few, they had us call them back threatening us with the Koffing, but they should have put them…"

"They are here!" Draconix shouted, pointing to a table covered in Poké Ball and fossils "They forgot to take them when they hurried after Spearow."

"That was yours too right?"

"His." Raziel replied, pointing to the other trainer "Now let's go, grab your Poké Ball and any item you need, we are going!"

The Professor nodded, grabbing three Poké Ball and a few fossils, followed by other researchers. He opened the safe to recover his documents. After a second, he picked up the gold nuggets too. Raziel shook his head but did not comment. Perhaps he needed those.

Charmeleon and Draconix came back, with the Pokémon now clearly healed. Then, Gastly appeared near them. Raziel cursed, before grabbing a potion and spraying him "Is there another exit?"

"No, that is the only one."

"Then get your Pokémon out, we need to break through those two before the others are back." Raziel said. The Professor nodded and a Grimer, a Koffing and a Magnemite left his Poké Ball. The Three Pokémon first launched themselves against the Paralyzed Koffing, methodically knocking them out.

"Good thinking." Raziel said.

"Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice…" He explained, as the Pokémon came back. Raziel nodded, and the twelve people moved on.

They were halfway through the tunnel, or so it seemed to Draconix, when they run into Domino and Mondo rushing back. "So it was you two!" The trainer shouted opening a Poké Ball. An Arbok shot out only to be intercepted by Grimer and Koffing.

Mondo opened his, and a Tauros rushed out, the bull facing Magnemite and the Charmeleon. Gastly darted forward as well, but his Hypnosis proved inefficient. It took a mere second to Raziel to figure out the bull was keeping himself awake by whipping his own body.

"There is no need to fight! We don't have your Skull, the Spearow took it. We will just leave!" Draconix shouted, keeping in mind to never point out it was his Spearow.

Domino laughed "Oh, you are leaving this place only dead! This mission is too important to let a few kids ruin it, and if before I was hesitant, now I'm totally killing you all." She opened a second Poké Ball and a Weezing came out, to find itself faced by a few Geodude other researchers sent out. Gastly joined them, while other Pokémon took his place facing the Tauros and the Persian the Rocket named Mondo sent out.

"Fine then, we will beat you and ship you to the police."

Domino laughed again. "Just try."

Spearow flew, as fast as he could._ 'I miss my flock. Getting pecked by 999 doesn't sound so bad now.'_ He thought, flying in the cave. His saving grace was the cave was not large enough for Orville's Pidgeot to catch up to him. The Pidgey were annoying, but Spearow was better trained it seemed, as he was keeping his advantage.

He dodged a Gust, barely holding on the Skull. That thing was surprisingly easy to grip, but it was still quite heavy. If he hadn't trained so much, the Flying-Pokémon would have never been able to carry it for so long. _'Get to the entrance, drop it somewhere, flee. Get to the entrance, drop it somewhere, flee.' _He repeated in his head, as another Gust was barely dodged. He kept going following the tunnel to the exit… and then he ended up in the same open area where Raziel and Draconix had set up camp. _'I went in the wrong direction!' _He thought panicking, as the Pidgeot finally bursted toward him now that the cave was open. _'I'm dead…'_ He thought… and then he saw something, a shadow on the wall, or maybe someone hiding in the shadows.

"Eat this!" Shouted the figure, and Spearow saw something fly towards him. Spearow didn't even think, jumping in to eat the… _'Ah, a candy, so I'll taste better when Pidgeot eats m…'_ His thought was stopped by his body being engulfed by a white light.

Domino was angry. Not disappointed, but angry. She clutched her fist as Arbok and Weezing fought the various Pokémon in front of them, Mondo and his Pokémon doing the same, but now they were the ones at a disadvantage. Sure, Weezing and Arbok were hitting harder, but for one hit that went in on her side, something between two and too many went in on the other. _'If I can hold on enough for that guy to get me the Skull, maybe…'_

Then her walkie-talkie called. She answered immediately "Black Tulip here. What is it?"

"It's gone." The voice on the other side replied.

"What?"

"The Spearow. It evolved and managed to outspeed Pidgeot in the tunnels, since it's fucking smaller. It got out and fuck if I know where it's gone. It also dropped the skull in the fucking forest, so good luck finding it."

Domino screamed, and threw the Walkie Talkie on the ground, watching it break "This isn't over. I'll remember you! You are dead!" She said, pointing to the two trainers. Then she grabbed the Smoke Bomb and threw it, recalling Arbok and Weezing before it exploded. Mondo did the same and the two ran.

She ran and ran, anger and sadness overtaking her. She had to run! From two kids years younger! This was her big mission! This was her chance to prove she was right! She would find a solution.

Finally, the two made it out of the tunnel, near the lake. The fight had subdued, she noticed. In fact, there didn't seem to be a single Rocket member left. Only then she noticed Mondo talking on his own walkie-talkie.

"What is it?" She asked.

The young man gulped, but answered anyway "It's… the team at the Pokémon Center. The Police is here. It's over, and they are arresting a bunch of our men while the other flee." He said "And there was this female trainer with an Ivysaur at the Trainer House. She has managed to rally the others behind her and they have beaten the grunts. I'm sorry Domino. The whole operation is over."

Domino cracked. She begun to cry. Her big chance ruined by a bunch of upstart trainers. Ruined by maggots and idiots… And by her own failure. She should have listened to Ariana. She should have waited one more day. If she did, the Police wouldn't have been there.

In that moment, someone walked to them. It was the blonde haired one. "We are leaving." He said, pointing to Pidgeot "Jump on, he can carry you two."

"What about the others?" Mondo asked.

"They are trailing down the mountain, have been captured, or are hiding somewhere. Hard to say, this whole thing was a mess in the second half. Now let's go. The commanding officer getting captured is hardly acceptable." He said.

"Oh, now I'm the commander?" She asked, angrily staring at him. He was a whole head taller than her and Mondo, but she still did not blink when he moved closer.

"Not mine, but you were leading the whole thing. Now it's your responsibility to pay for the failure."

Domino sighed "Fine, let's go. Get us out of this damn mountain." She said, jumping on the Pidgeot, followed by Mondo. And the Pokémon took flight, followed by the other trainer on a second one.


	25. Chapter 24: Adventure and old business

Raziel sighed in relief, seeing the exit. After the two Rocket leaders had escaped, Draconix had suggested to try and follow them, but Raziel and the researchers had agreed it was a better idea to let them go and get out. They had also agreed to not go to the closest exit, but instead trail all the way to Lake Moon.

The result was that they had made it to the Trainer House, with the sky already pitch black. It had taken a second to realize that clearly a battle had raged here as well, with the walls scorched and dented. Only two or three windows were still intact, and somehow one of the rooms seemed to have exploded from the inside. That was weird, but he was too tired to think about it.

The first thing that had welcomed them was Spearow. Or well, Fearow. The Flying-Type landed on Draconix shoulder for a moment, before they both tumbled down. After another second, everyone started to laugh, and Raziel did the same. Finally, they felt their mood turn for the better.

Despite everything, the twelve had entered the House to find a generally cheery atmosphere. The main reason seemed to be a girl with long brown hair in the center of the room. "To our victory!" She shouted lifting a cup of what looked like cola. Her Ivysaur, who caught everyone's attention for its colors, imitated her lifting a Berry, and most Trainers in the room cheered as well, before drinking whatever they were holding.

"What's going on?" Draconix asked to a nearby trainer.

"Oh, we are celebrating our victory. Team Rocket attacked us, but thanks to Leaf we made it out with a victory." He answered with a smile "And not a single Pokémon was stolen."

Leaf, the girl in question, turned and walked up to them with a large smile. "That's right. But someone mentioned other fighting. You were in that cave camp, right? Good thing you made it out!"

The researchers with them chuckled "Actually, we owe those two our life. They pursued Team Rocket and managed to fight off their leader!"

Both Leaf and everyone else went silent, staring at them. Raziel and Draconix both were unsure how to react, then everyone begun to cheer. "Great job!" Leaf shouted, patting them on the back "So after all we owe you two their retreat?"

"Uh, I don't know actually." Raziel replied, trying to minimize "The Parasect attack saved us in the cave, and you beat them here, so I'd say it was really team effort."

"Now don't undersell yourself, young man." The researcher replied with a warm smile "The way you two tricked them and saved us all deserves a prize."

Leaf, meanwhile, had been studying them, before finally having a sudden spark of realization "Wait, you two are Dexholders, right?"

"Dex-what?" A few people nearby asked, before looking at each other in disbelief.

"Ah, it's those guys old Oak gave those machine-things to, right?" Another one asked.

Leaf sighed "Yes, though maybe calling them 'machine-things' is a bit underselling them. Those items are amazing honestly. A lot of data on all the Pokémon you can normally find in Kanto, readily available even without internet connection. No hassle of carrying a book around. Instant information on moves, area where they are commonly found wild, typing, average height and weight…"

"Yeah that sounds cool."

"Cool?! It's amazing! I sent three letters to get one!" She replied, before turning to Raziel and Draconix "Can I see it? Oh, can I try it?"

Raziel took his black dex out and handed it to her "Here, go for it."

She almost squealed as she aimed it at Ivysaur, and the screen beeped to life, showing the Pokémon's page. "Wait, 'Can't stand on its hind legs anymore'? I'm so sorry, I thought you were only pretending to!" She said, looking at her starter. Ivysaur chuckled, and Leaf looked up the remaining info "Uh, there is no area on the map."

"That's because wild Ivysaur live deep in forests, outside of the common routes, and move around as nomads." Draconix explained "So you can't really pinpoint a location."

Leaf nodded, taking in the info, and then handed the Dex back to Raziel "Thank you, that's so cool. I so wish I had one!"

"I'm sure Professor Oak will release more in the future, and I've heard there are other professors working on the project." Raziel said.

Leaf beamed at that, and put her arms around the two trainer's shoulders. "Well then, I'm glad of that, but now, let's celebrate our victory!" She shouted, and everyone cheered "To the defeat of Team Rocket!"

The party continued for a long time. Raziel listened to a few people singing at the karaoke, laughing at the atrocious execution from Draconix, and cheering Leaf's perfect singing voice. He noticed Draconix and the researcher – Miguel Cervant, as he had presented himself – and then talking to another man. A while later, the three talked a bit about their starter. Of course, Raziel only had one question.

"How did you start with a Shiny Ivysaur?"

"Oh, it's luck actually. It's tradition in most places that from the moment the Pokémon for the Academies are shipped out from the various facilities, no one is allowed to see which Pokémon is in which Poké Ball. Shiny are just shipped out mixed in with the others. I just picked the lucky Poké Ball." She said, scratching Ivysaur on the back of the hear. The Pokémon grumbled quietly, and Raziel smiled.

The owner invited the three young trainers to take a picture, rumbling something about how finally three trainers were helping rather than destroying his Trainer House. Leaf, Draconix and Raziel all took the picture together, with Leaf making a large smile, Draconix a smile and a peace sign, and Raziel just with a smirk. He was really not good at smiling in pictures.

"Nice, can I also take a photo with all your Pokémon? It would look good." Ivysaur walked closer, and Clefairy and Jigglypuff jumped out of Leaf's Poké Ball. Fearow and Charmeleon left their own. Raziel clicked the Poké Ball too, knowing full well that Gastly probably wasn't too happy about the fact the party was loud.

But the Poké Ball clicked empty.

Gastly sighed, looking around the large cave. _"Could you come out? I want to go back before Raziel realizes I'm even gone." _He called.

A young trainer with red hair emerged from a side of the cave. "Hello little Gastly. Are you lost? I can show you the way out if…"

"_Cut it, I know what's going on."_

The trainer sighed, then puffed in a ball of smoke. A Haunter stood in his place, scratching his head. _"So how did you figure it out?"_

"_The hundred and twenty years old Rare Candy was a good hint, but then I saw you during the Parasect charge, and Fearow told me what happened while he was running. Not that hard to put together."_

Haunter nodded _"I suppose. Don't worry about expiration, Rare Candy can last up to two hundred years from what I've heard."_

"_Good to know. But tell me, what's going on? Why did a wild Ghost help us out?"_ Gastly asked, noticing in that moment the red part of the gas on the Haunter's head, matching his hair color.

"_Well, I was a Trainer before I kind of died in here."_

"_How…"_

"_Parasect got us in our sleep, was a lot more common back then."_ He simply said _"Oh, you can believe I got my vengeance for that. That's why they agreed to help out in their own way."_

"_Freaky things, aren't they?"_

"_They are basically Mushroom Zombies, what do you think?" _Haunter asked _"Still, they owed me one, so I convinced them to charge the Rockets. Of course, they 'accidentally' also attacked the other trainers."_

"_What I don't get is why you helped me and Fearow out later. Helping the Trainers sure, but you had no reason to heal Raziel in particular, or help Fearow at all." _Gastly said. Haunter clutched his hands, apparently uncomfortable, then groaned.

"_I have a few things I never managed to do and always wished to. The one that stings the most was being unable to help Magikarp and Kakuna evolve before dying. So, when I saw Spearow about to die before even evolving to Fearow, I chose to help. I didn't know if he would evolve, but Rare Candies give a spark of energy that is known to trigger evolution at times, so…"_

"_So you tried. Now I get it. But what about Raziel?"_

Haunter just shook his head _"It just felt natural. There is something weird about him, as a Ghost I felt drawn to him. You don't?"_

Gastly was the one uncomfortable now. Yeah, he did think Raziel was oddly easy to deal with as a human. He felt a bond with him from the moment they had met. _"I guess. So that was it?"_

"_Well we are also the same species. If we don't help each other as Ghosts…"_

Gastly chuckled. _"Fair. So, that's it, I guess? You coming with us?"_

"_Honestly, I don't know. I feel… different. I managed to finally help a Pokémon evolve, I helped a few trainers, and finally got back to the Parasect. Feels like everything I wanted to do is accomplished, you know."_

In that moment, they heard a weird sound, like a door creaking open. They turned to see a Pokémon advancing forward. A giant mouth on his stomach, and a single read eye in the middle of his head. The Dusknoir towered over the two, especially on Gastly.

"_Hello." _The reaper said, in a cheerful tone that clashed with his appearance. He took out a piece of paper from inside his mouth _"Which of you is 'Robert Glades'?"_

Haunter raised his hand _"Uh, hello?"_

"_Congratulations mister Glades. You have solved all your unfinished business on Earth. Which means, it is time for you to go to the other side."_

Haunter stared bewildered at the Dusknoir _"I… what?"_

"_Yes, quite impressive. Solving unfinished business in only over a century can be quite hard. Congratulations. I should pass a message from mister Karp, Magi, who says 'About time'. Mister Na, Kaku, adds 'Get over here quickly, we waited over a century you…' Pardon me, I don't want to finish, but you get the picture. Mister Na seems quite upset."_

"_Wait, Magikarp and Kakuna are there?"_

"_Of course, silly, did you think humans and Pokémon go to different places?"_

Gastly could not hold his curiosity anymore _"What's this all exactly?"_

Dusknoir looked at him puzzled _"You don't know? The spirit of a dead human or Pokémon that turned in a Ghost-type is bound to this world only so long as they have an intent. As Mr. Glades here has said, he doesn't anymore, so he has to move to the afterlife. Which is why I am here, being the Pokémon invested by Queen Yveltal with the task of taking spirits there."_

Gastly had heard about it, but never seen a Dusknoir doing it. Actually, he had never seen a Dusknoir at all. He looked at Haunter, who was now smiling. _"I guess this is goodbye then. Bummer, you are the first Ghost I met since we started our journey, I hoped to get to know you a bit more."_

Haunter smiled, and patted Gastly on the back of his body. Being both Ghosts, he could actually touch him _"Well, goodbye to you as well. You better go back to Raziel." _Gastly nodded, then Haunter moved forward, to Dusknoir _"I am ready. So, do you eat me, or…"_

"_Trust me, Mr. Glades, you wouldn't like where my mouth would take you." _Dusknoir replied _"No, we shall simply leave through the door." _He said, pointing toward the back of the cave. Only then both noted the shadows seemed to have bent into the shape of an open door, leading into a dark corridor. _"Follow me, please. Don't wander off, it can be quite dangerous."_

Haunter gulped and followed the Pokémon. The moment he passed the door, his Haunter form vanished, and he found himself standing on both feet, as a human. Gastly watched him wave and walk off behind Dusknoir, as the shadow door creaked closed. The moment it did, the shadows returned to their usual shapes, like nothing had happened.

"_Farewell." _Gastly murmured, heading back to the Trainer House.

In that moment, he felt a familiar feeling. Raziel had clicked on the Poké Ball to call him out. _"Shit." _And he hurried off, leaving only silence in the cave.


	26. Chapter 25: Right, challenging Gyms

"I am so sorry!" Giuls said to the video call, worried "I wasn't there to help when you needed some!"

"Ah, don't worry about it Giuls." Draconix said with a smile "We managed somehow."

"It was a close thing." Raziel commented "And I'm still mad we didn't get back to Orville."

"Ehi, at least you got two sworn enemies out of it." Leaf said, pretending to be mad "I only fought some unnamed grunts, how sad is that?"

Giuls laughed as well "How are you doing Leaf?"

"Quite well, thanks, making some new friends and all." She said, pointing to Draconix and Raziel.

Draconix looked puzzled "Wait, you know each other?"

"Well duh, she is from Pallet Academy too, Dracotung." Giuls replied "I beat her in the quarter finals, actually."

"Please don't make that nickname stick." Draconix sighed. Raziel heard Gastly laugh from his left, where he was hovering slowly.

"Just a lucky shot." Leaf added, ignoring the young trainer.

"Oh, you wish." Giuls said "I'll gladly give you another go next time we meet."

"Oh my, how bold…" Leaf said, and both Giuls and the two boys blushed when they realized why.

"N-Not what I meant!" Giuls shouted, and Leaf laughed, soon joined by the two. The tomboyish girl looked flustered for a bit, then just chuckled as well "Fine, fine. Where are you three anyway?"

"Entering the second half of the cave today, we should be in Cerulean in a day and a half or so."

"Wow, we are pretty close then. I just made it out. Clefairy showed me another exit, so I'm a bit off the road, but made it in only a day."

"Nice. Good luck then." Said Draconix "I guess you are going for the Gym first."

"Yep. Well, second, Blue is probably there already."

"Knowing Blue, he probably already left the city." Draconix commented.

"Probably. Well, bye, and see you soon."

"For sure." Draconix said, and after the other two hung up Giuls put the phone down.

She sighed _'Well, nothing I can do about it. Let's just go.'_ And she walked off. But as she walked, she could only think at what her friend had gone through while she just had a fun day. Was it even fair for her to have it that easy?

As she walked on, those questions remained unanswered.

Blue entered the Gym with a large smile on his face. The day before, it was so overcrowded he had not managed to even try the Gym challenge, since they were over their limit. So instead he had left to train Abra a bit, and come back the following day, early in the morning.

Now the Gym was quiet. There were a few trainers walking around, but most seemed to be Gym Trainee.

A quick look told him how the Gym Challenge worked. He was supposed to either swim to Misty, or to walk on a series of precarious planks forming a labyrinth above the water. More trainers would challenge him in the water than on the planks, but falling from those while fighting meant you had lost for the day.

He pondered his choices and picked the plank, knowing he was only an average swimmer, and fighting while swimming was quite hard. He had tried a few times, and couldn't believe some trainers took that as their preferred fighting style. His way was interrupted by a single trainer, but the fight was quick, thanks to Pidgeotto easily fending off the Goldeen and Magikarp before they could even touch the plank. Once he did so, he saw Misty. She was exercising in a blue sport bikini but stood up the moment she saw him.

"Welcome." She said with a smile "I am the Tomboyish Mermaid, Misty. I suppose you are here for a challenge."

"Yes, thanks."

"So, how many medals do you have?" She asked. When Blue lifted a finger, she nodded "Out of curiosity, Brock or Cosmo? Usually it's one of those two when a one-medalist gets here."

"Brock."

Misty nodded, while apparently weighing some Poké Ball "Makes sense. So, did you just make it out of Mount Moon or…"

"No, I've actually been here for a few days. I got an encounter with Team Rocket as well."

"Oh, that was you!" She exclaimed "You could have told that at the entrance, we would have let you through without a fight. It's the least I could to repay you for helping Cerulean City."

Blue now blushed a bit "Ah, it's no big deal, really."

She smiled, finally picking two Poké Ball. "Very well, two v two for your second medal. You ready?"

Blue nodded and sent out Rattata, who found himself facing a pink Pokémon.

"_Hello." _Rattata said. Slowpoke remained quite, his empty eyes looking beyond him, his expression completely blank. _"Uuuuh, are you ok?"_

"Go for Quick Attack Rattata!" Blue shouted, and the Rat Pokémon collected himself lunging forward. He prepared to dodge a response, but there was none.

"_Hello." _Slowpoke simply said, as the attack impacted against him and flung him back, throwing him on his back. The Pokémon waited on the ground for a few seconds, then suddenly gasped and pulled himself back up.

'_I'm so confused right n…' _Rattata begun to think, then a Water Gun hit him square in the face, throwing him back. He barely held on the edge of the arena, surprised. _'Right, I shouldn't underestimate him.'_ He jumped forward and used another Quick Attack, the blow impacted on the Slowpoke's face, but there was no reaction. Instead, Slowpoke fired a Confusion, and the psychic energy sent Rattata flying against the arena floor, before dropping him down painfully.

He lunged forward again, noticing a pained expression forming on the Slowpoke's face – only now reacting to the Quick Attack before – but did not stop, impacting on him… and getting thrown away from another Water Gun.

"_Seriously, how…" _And then he heard the Gym Leader call Slowpoke.

"A Water Gun in three seconds." She shouted. Rattata counted to three, and there was no reaction from the Pokémon, so he darted forward.

"Dodge left, now!" Shouted Blue. Rattata barely reacted in time, dodging a Water Gun by a hair.

'_But why now?' _He wondered, before impacting against the Slowpoke's flank and sending him flying. In response, Slowpoke stood up and yawned.

Rattata yawned back, and only then he realized his mistake.

"Ok Rattata, before you fall asleep, get him with Hyper Fang!"

Rattata nodded, understanding that now he only had a few seconds. He focused his entire body on the next bite and darted forward. He ducked to dodge a Water Gun, barely avoiding it, and bit. Slowpoke showed no reaction, except a Confusion. Then, as Rattata fell to the floor after being thrown to the roof again, he just fainted. Rattata barely registered his victory before falling asleep.

"Slowpoke takes a few seconds to register any input they receive. Pain, commands, simple chatter…" Blue said, recalling his Pokémon.

Misty nodded "Correct. Did you figure it out on your own or was it the machine?" She said, pointing to the Pokédex Blue was holding in his other hand.

"I just wanted to confirm my theory…"

"Fine by me." Misty said, recalling Slowpoke "But you should check if a Gym Leader is ok with you reading information on their Pokémon. Some consider knowledge an essential part of the test."

Blue nodded, putting his Dex away "Sorry, I will ask next time."

"As I said, no problem. But yes, Slowpoke takes a few second to recognize any order. The trick is knowing how long that specific Slowpoke takes and calculating the timing to react to the enemy attack. It's a fine art." She explained, recalling it. Then she pulled a lever. The arena lowered, filling with water and turning into a pool. Six platforms were still available, connected by pathways, to ensure a non-swimming Pokémon was not at a disadvantage.

Blue nodded. The rules of the League allowed for a Water-type user to request at any point for the arena pool to be activated. This was to put Pokémon like Seaking or Seadra on a plain field, where they would have otherwise been at a disadvantage on land, with their movements hindered. Of course, there were rules, like a ban on diving outside of range except for dodging or the use of certain moves. More importantly, opening the pool required someone to use it. Sending out a non-swimming Pokémon after opening it was prohibited, to ensure someone wouldn't just use it to trick the opponent. Still, he couldn't help but think those rules favored slightly Water-types. '_Luckily, I have my own.' _He thought sending out Squirtle.

The Water-type smiled, putting himself in position on a platform, and Misty responded sending Starmie. The Star-shaped Pokémon's core shone in bright red as it entered the water. Squirtle prepared, without following it. The Starmie begun by swimming around, propelling itself with a trickle of water from one of its arms and waiting. Both Squirtle and Blue waited, without moving except to not lose sight of the target.

"Bubble Beam!" Misty shouted, and Starmie immediately sprung to life. Squirtle, without thinking, darted forward, running on the platform. It ducked under the beam, the stream of bubbles hitting only his shell and tail, and jumped.

"Go for the Core!" He heard Blue shout, and smiled. With a quick maneuver, he brought down a Mega Kick like an axe, hitting Starmie square in the core. The Pokémon's jewel glowed blue and green as the strength of the Mega Kick forced them both underwater. Squirtle immediately followed up with a Water Gun, though most of the strength was not used to hit Starmie but to propel himself back on the platform, where he waited.

"_Right, that started the fight the right way." _He thought, looking around. Starmie emerged rotating on itself and threw a Swift. Star shaped energy flew against his starter, and Squirtle tried to dodge. In response, the stars curved and hit him on the flank, throwing him away. Starmie followed up with a Bubble Beam, that Squirtle intercepted with a Water Gun. It wasn't enough to completely stop the bubbles, but it did greatly soften the blow, as many bubbles went off course landing on the ground or popped before impacting against him. He moved forward, but as he did he stepped on something, and felt himself fall. In that moment he noticed he was covered in a weird substance, something like soap. _"Dammit, it's that Bubble Beam"_. He realized, moving carefully to avoid falling again.

As he did so, however, he was an easy target. Starmie pointed at him, the core shining purple, and quickly attacked with Swift, the star shaped energy hitting Squirtle in the face. He felt himself thrown back and entered his shell before impacting the arena walls, softening the blow. Then he used a Water Gun to propel himself upward.

"You are at a disadvantage in long range, close the distance!" Blue shouted. Squirtle nodded as he begun to fall down. He saw a Bubble Beam coming, and in response used Water Gun to change his course, steering clear of the attack. Then he looked up using the Water Gun to further speed up downward. And as he did, he rose his fist, before bringing it down like a hammer on the surprised Starmie, now glowing yellow. The Mega Punch landed, even powered up by the hit, and the core once again shone blue and green as they both disappeared under the water.

Squirtle saw Starmie in front of him, and retracted his fist _"Not over yet…"_ He thought, and punched again. The Mega Punch hook threw the Mysterious Pokémon upward, in the sky, before it came back down shining red. Without pausing, Squirtle propelled himself out of the water, slamming with Tackle into Starmie and changing their course. He tanked the Swift the Pokémon throw to blast him off and smiled, seeing that way he had landed first. He looked up, seeing Starmie was falling right above him, and shakily stood on his two legs. _"What was that anime catchphrase… First comes rock…" _and with that thought, right as Starmie fell in front of him, he threw another Mega Punch. The hit slammed into the star-shaped Pokémon, and threw it away, sending it flying and forming a star-shaped crater in the wall. Panting and huffing, he waited, to see if the Pokémon was going to stand up.

Then he sighed in relief.

Blue looked at Misty, then at the Starmie, faintly shining orange. The Gym Leader shook her head and called the Pokémon back. "Good fight, Starmie, your parents are going to be proud." She commented, before smiling to him. "Well congratulations. Is not really common for someone to take me on two on two and not lose a single Pokémon."

"To be fair, if Squirtle had lost I would have given up. There was no way Rattata could take on Starmie starting asleep."

Misty nodded "Yes, I suppose. Still, you shouldn't understate your…" She begun to say, then stopped and pointed at Squirtle "Well, that is always nice to see."

The Pokémon, Blue realized, was surrounded by a white glow, and starting to grow in height. Soon after, a Wartortle stood in place of Squirtle, the long fluffy hears matching his grown tail. The Pokémon put on a shaky grin as he raised his fist in the hair, and Blue nodded. "Excellent! Great job Sq… Wartortle." He said, correcting himself halfway.

Misty nodded "Absolutely, I always love it when this happens." She commented "It's proof of excellent training. And also a way for the trainer to see how well they are progressing. Speaking of which…" She jumped in the water and, at a speed that would have made any professional swimmer blush, she made it to Blue's side, elegantly jumping out of the pool. Up close, the trainer could see she was quite more muscular than she had seemed before, her body showing she clearly took swimming seriously. With a serious expression, she put her hand in a small pouch on her side, and took out a medal. "This is proof of your success in the Cerulean City Gym. As a reminder, since this is your second medal you have graduated from beginner level fights. Expect the next Gyms to grow harder."

Blue nodded "Yes, thank you. I will not disappoint."

Misty's expression changed, now a lot more cheerful "Oh, I am sure of it! I tried my best to hide it, but this is actually the first time I fight a Squirtle that specializes in melee rather than ranged combat. I'm sure your high-level battles will be very entertaining to watch." Misty replied, giving him a light pat on the back. Said light pat was enough to make Blue feel his back on fire, but he did his best to hide it. She still chuckled, so it probably wasn't that good of an act.

Rattata yawned, waking up in the Pokémon Center and looking at his trainer, that patted him on the head. Then he turned to Pidgeotto… who looked like he was having the time of his life.

"_What did I miss?"_ He asked. The bird Pokémon simply pointed to the other side of the table, where a Wartortle was showing his moves to Abra, flaunting his kicks and punches around and commenting on how even a Gym Leader had complimented him for them.

"_Oh, he evolved, that's nice. What's so funny though?"_ He asked, then he took a better look _"He hasn't noticed Abra is sleeping, right?"_

"_Nope."_

"_How long has this been going on?"_

"_I think Abra started sleeping about twenty minutes ago."_

They both looked at him, punching and kicking the air and talking to a sleeping Abra. Rattata was the first to crack and start laughing, and it looked like Pidgeotto was unable to hold back anymore. They ignored Blue and Wartortle's confused expressions until they were in tears.

Domino and Mondo were on edge. Or well, it was better to say they were terrified. To be summoned to the Team Rocket headquarter in Cerulean would have been bad enough, but instead their orders had been to come to Celadon. They waited, Mondo trying his best to appear cheerful and painfully failing. Domino appreciated the effort, but it was only making her more scared.

Finally, the secretary, a woman with square glasses and short dark red hair walked up to them. "The high council is waiting for you." She said. The order to move quickly was implicit but clear. Domino gulped and stood up. Mondo made to follow her but Matori shook her head "Only Lieutenant Domino, please." Mondo nodded, sitting down, but even as she proceeded to the room she could see him sweat heavily.

The Council room was large, with an oval table in the center. Only three men were sitting at it, meaning at least she did not deserve the attention of the whole Council. She almost felt relief.

"Welcome." Said the man sitting on the other side of the table, shattering the feeling in an instant. She gulped recognizing Giovanni himself, realizing only then how bad the situation was. The cool eyes of the Rocket leader did not abandon her for a second, as he took up the report she had filed "Care to explain what went wrong?"

Domino took a second to register the question. "Well, we were taken by surprise by the presence of a few trainers and…"

The younger man to Giovanni's left tapped his fingers on the table, his long dark blue hair flowing on his shoulders "A few trainers would be expected, wouldn't they?"

"Not in the deeper section of the cave. A few of Athena's men, led by codename Orville, were tasked with making sure the Markers were in place and to convince trainers to weaken themselves by battling each other."

Now it was the man on the right, in a common Rocket outfit, to speak "And all reports agree their tasks were taken care of. What thwarted our plans was the unusual behavior of the Parasect, that chose to intervene in a battle of this scale rather than fleeing. But this doesn't change the fact you should have been able to deal with two trainers and three Pokémon."

"Sir, we would have, but we went in a panic when the Skull was taken and acted, I will admit, out of order. I shouldn't have ordered all my men to run after it, and then I shouldn't have believed Mew to be there, no matter how good the illusion was." Domino said, choosing to admit her mistakes.

Giovanni frowned "Any other mistake?"

Domino clenched her fist and nodded "I… Should have listened to Ariana's suggestions. I underestimated the level of damage a few police officers would cause to our plan."

Giovanni nodded "I do believe so, yes. Overconfidence is a problem for anyone, but a Lieutenant is supposed to be able to keep it under control. You should know well that Team Rocket is not allowed to be picky in our selection of low-level agents, unlike other organizations. There is a reason if they are called grunts by the media. Numbers are useful, but in a Pokémon Battle they rarely overpower talent." He shook his head "For now, you will be reassigned to smaller operations. I believe there is a shipment that is to be taken from Cinnabar to Vermillion. I'll charge you and your deputy with taking care of it. To be clear, this is a demotion in all but name, and I'm being generous on ground of this being your first real failure. You are starting back from the basic roles of a Lieutenant, leading four men. Your deputy too. And you both will find scaling the ranks will be much harder this time. Perhaps this will ensure you will not disappoint again if you make it once more."

Domino could almost cry. She had given everything to get where she was, she had reached the highest ranks of a Lieutenant's powers in no time, and now she was plummeting down to a five men team? Thankfully, she was skilled enough to control herself, and simply nodded. Giovanni simply pointed to the door "You can go. I will summon you again if needed, but I doubt I will."

And with that, the girl was dismissed.

Giovanni looked at Black Tulip leave. Once the door closed, he turned to the man to his left. "Now, Pierce, any info on who where those trainers that got in our way?"

The young man raised his gloved hands "I don't have a direct interview with them on the incident yet, unfortunately. I already dispatched a journalist to Cerulean, though, so we will know more on their team. However, the one I had sent to Mount Moon to hopefully get an interview got his hand on this photo." He took it out of his pocket and showed it to Giovanni. The Rocket Boss studied the three teenagers and their Pokémon. An Ivysaur with a peculiar color, a Jigglypuff, a Clefairy, a Charmeleon and a Fearow. A quick count of the Poké Ball on their belts showed they had at least two more Pokémon. One was likely the Gastly Domino and Mondo had described in their reports. All in all, those appeared to be some low tier trainers, probably in the early part of their journey. _'This is already the third report of a young trainer ruining our plans. First the two in Cerulean, now this.'_ He thought, frowning. "Anything else to add?"

"Yes, actually." Pierce said "One of my journalists has sent to the magazine this article, which refers to the Charmeleon in the picture. It's going to be published in the next month's number."

Giovanni quickly scanned the article "Draconix Karyu… I assume is a branch of that same family?"

"Hard to say. If it is, a distant one, as the name never came up in interviews."

"I see. Well, this Breaking Claws hardly says anything to us, except that acquiring the Pokémon might be worth our time. For now, keep searching for information on those three." Then he turned to his right "Archer, what about the Skull?"

"The researchers are already organizing a search party, since apparently the Fearow could only point them to a general area. It is believed today or tomorrow they will find it. Brock has also confirmed he will leave the city to ensure it is safely transported back to the Museum. I fear any further attempt to steal it will require to open hostility with the Gym Leader of Pewter." The man explained.

Giovanni took the information in. Taking on a Gym Leader was hard. Not impossible for his upper echelon, but he was hesitant to use it. It had taken time to carefully convince the media that Team Rocket was composed by inefficient goons with at best a few leaders.

It was that perception that had allowed them to exist for so long and slowly build their network through Kanto: no one suspected the existence of an upper echelon of highly skilled fighters, Lieutenant and Generals alike. When one was sent in, he was usually disguised as an already known, fictional leader. The Iron-Masked Marauder was Giovanni's favorite. Sending in Domino had been a move determined by the nature of the mission, but he was positive at worst the police were going to suspect the existence of a new skilled trainer in his ranks. At best, they were going to think fear and the presence of a few strong Pokémon had made the trainers and researchers over-estimate the threat of two grunts, but he did not believe they would be so lucky. Openly taking out Brock, something they could have done, was however going to shatter that illusion he had carefully built.

"Project M-3 is scrapped then, at least until we have a new lead. We will have to reconsider our plans. Do we have our hands on the reports from the Police?" He asked.

"Not yet, but a copy should arrive soon. We don't have many I-agents in Pewter, so it takes a bit longer. Once that is done, we will know exactly who our targets are." Archer replied, "Ariana assures me that."

"Very well. We will decide later how to proceed with the payback. For now, that will be all." The two men nodded and rose almost simultaneously, leaving the room.

Left alone, Giovanni examined the picture once more. He could swear there was something familiar about one of the three, but after a while he chose to just ignore it. If he couldn't recall it, it was unlikely it mattered. He clicked on a button, and started to give instructions to Matori. If M-3 was out, the recovery of M-2 was a priority. _'Operation MB. The only option left, and yet a most dangerous gamble.'_ He thought. But if successful, M-2 was going to be his.


	27. Chapter 26: An offer you cannot refuse

Raziel smiled seeing Gastly defeating Paras. It was progressively getting easier for his Pokémon to take on multiple opponents, by using Lick first to slow the fastest one and then Night Shade to finish them. Hypnosis worked well to take out some opponents as well, so he couldn't complain. _'The issue is his lack of control of the other move…'_ He thought.

Turning around, he observed Draconix and Charmeleon defeat a series of Geodude. At this point, Charmeleon was getting comfortable with Breaking Claws, although Raziel was pretty sure a lot of Rock Pokémon were getting a heavy hit to their pride that day.

"Draconix and Charmeleon are having fun, aren't they?" A female voice behind him asked. Raziel jumped up and then turned around to see Leaf, her Ivysaur following close. The girl giggled at his surprise.

"How did you…"

"I am very silent. Like a falling leaf." She said "Anyway, want to see something funny?"

Raziel nodded "Sure, what is it?"

Leaf smiled smugly "Draconix, how is your new Pokémon?" She asked. The brown-headed trainer paled, before coughing lightly "Oh, yeah, it's good, yeah."

Raziel looked at him puzzled "You got a new Pokémon? When? We have been together all day and you haven't caught a single one."

"No, uh, I bought it at the party yesterday." He said, coughing again.

Now Raziel was getting curious, especially because he could see Leaf was barely holding her laughter behind a smile that reminded him of a Meowth. "Well, what is it?"

Draconix sighed. "Promise you won't laugh."

"I don't make promises." Raziel said, then caught Draconix's glare "Come on man, it's fine, you can't have bought anything too stupid." He said.

Draconix sighed and opened a ball. A Magikarp came out, flopping on the ground for all to see. Leaf lost it immediately, and Raziel had to endure the most heroic struggle of his life to resists six whole seconds before cracking up. "He… Bought… A Magikarp…" Leaf managed to say between the laughs.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… It's just contagious… How… did they… convince you?" Raziel asked, in tears for the laughing.

Draconix recalled the Pokémon "Oh come on, it was a good offer. This guy comes to me and says a trainer like me should have a strong Pokémon, and he has a good Water-type."

"Oh yeah… that's a Water-type alright." Leaf said, still laughing.

"You are all jealous because I will have a Gyarados." The boy said defensively "Can we not talk about this ever again? It didn't cost that much anyway."

"How much did you pay?" Raziel asked.

"… Five hundred." Draconix muttered.

"Eh, ok, that's not that much." Raziel said "About five times what's the usual price..."

"Yeah, I get it, I screwed up, can we not laugh at me any longer? Nice friends I have." Draconix replied. Leaf and Raziel looked at each other, now feeling a bit ashamed. Raziel could not help but realize he was probably going dangerously close to some nerves that were better left untouched.

"Listen, is not the end of the world. Gyarados is a good Pokémon, and you didn't even have to fish for a Magikarp at least." Raziel continued.

"Yeah, just train Magikarp and I am sure he will be a good Pokémon." Leaf added, nodding repeatedly.

Draconix sighed, but then smirked "Well, I guess I will get back at you once I have a Gyarados. I'll keep that in mind."

Raziel smiled back "We will see at the League. Anyway, you also got something else, didn't you?"

Draconix nodded, and opened his bag. He took out a large stone, a large dome-shaped fossil "Behold, a Domefossil."

"Man, they are not creative with the names for those things." Leaf commented "So, what will it become?"

"Apparently a Kabuto. They offered me this one or one that becomes an Omanyte, but I fought a Kabuto in Pewter and it was pretty strong. I want to try and train one." He explained, putting the Fossil back in the bag.

"Sounds good. It becomes one of those… Kabuschytes thingies, right?" Leaf asked, "I saw one at the museum."

"Yeah, a Kabutops. Looks really cool." Draconix replied, showing a picture of the skeleton Giuls had sent him when he had told her about the Fossil. Both trainers looked at it quite impressed.

Darken smiled victorious, exiting the Celadon Game Corner holding the Poké Ball of his new Porygon. Free, his starter, shook his head.

"_Two days Darken. Two entire days, wasted playing Slot Machines."_ He commented.

"_At least he stopped when he got the amount of money he needed." _Tuffball commented, following him.

"_He shouldn't have played to begin with! This is dangerous stuff!"_

"_Then you should have really done a better job at hiding the promotion that advertised Porygon as a special prize."_

"_I thought he was going to challenge the Gym!"_

"_It's Darken we are talking about, did you really think he would let go the opportunity to obtain a Porygon?"_ Tuffball looked at him, and Free scoffed.

"_If you two are done, we might want to focus on the important stuff. Namely, that we are finally going to the Gym." _Jake replied. The Hitmonchan had acted as Darken's bodyguard, just in case. Tuffball and Free, in his opinion, didn't look menacing enough.

"_No need to tell me. Any idea who is getting a go this time?"_ Tuffball asked, with a grin that would have been terrifying if it wasn't on a pink ball with giant doe eyes.

"_If I was a guessing mon, I'd say it's me and Peat."_ Free replied.

"_Two Flying types?" _Jake asked, surprised by Free's bet _"I would have gone with you and Kitsu or Guardian."_

"_Why are you all just assuming I am not getting a turn…"_ Tuffball asked, trying to appear crushed.

Free chuckled _"Honestly I think it's because you and Jake are tired. Sure, today we only stayed up two hours, but yesterday we were up until late night. And since our heaviest hitter is like this, I feel Darken will choose to focus on our speed."_

Tuffball scoffed _"I am not tired…"_ She begun, before yawning.

"_Yeah and that was a Yawn, not your body protesting."_ Jake replied.

"_Ahah, very funny. I bet you feel clever."_ Tuffball replied, looking up at the Hitmonchan.

"_Yes, I actually do. Anyway" _He turned to Free _"Ten berries on you and Guardian taking on the Gym Leader."_

"_I see the Game Corner gave you ideas. Fine, ten on me and Peat."_

Tuffball pondered her options for a second, before going with her own bet _"Ten on Free and Kitsu."_

"Alright guys." Darken said, stopping at the Pokémon Center to access the PC "For this one I'm taking Peat, Kitsu and Guardian, to make sure we have options. Free, you are also in of course. Jake, you and Tuffball are probably tired, want to get a rest in the box? I want to also train with Vaeron and Apachai, so I'll need to let you all rest a bit."

Jake responded entering his Poké Ball. Tuffball looked up at Free _"Don't go and lie on who got in the fight."_

"_Too many witnesses."_ The butterfly responded.

Tuffball chuckled and entered her Poké Ball.

Darken would have seriously paid to understand what his Pokémon were saying to each other, but that was unfortunately impossible. Instead, he focused on preparing his team, withdrawing the Pokémon he needed. After that and preparing a bit, he walked off to the Gym.

The Celadon Gym was entirely run by female trainers. Gym Leader Erika had made it clear it wasn't a personal choice of hers, but that most guys that showed up to take the Trainee course were more interested in the girls than in being actual trainers, so they never passed the interviews. Darken wondered if that was what had started the rumor that only girls could challenge the Gym, something that would have been in violation of League rules.

The trainer entered the Gym, finding himself almost overwhelmed by the amount of flowers and their scent. The Gym was a rather simple setup, a hedge maze with a few Trainers hidden behind corners. Technically he could open a way through using Cut, but none of his Pokémon knew it yet, so he would have to take a longer route.

The rules were equally simple: challenge whoever you run into that is of similar experience, make it to the end of the maze, and then challenge the Gym Leader.

However, his road was surprisingly easy. He made it to the Gym Leader without running in neither a trainee nor another challenger, something not impossible but quite rare. He run only into another trainer, but he had already collected six medals.

The Gym Leader was waiting in the center of a large arena covered in short grass and flowers. Darken wondered how well those handled the arena transforming into a pool, then realized it was probably quite rare for Erika to face a Water-type.

Erika herself was sitting at the other side of the large field, wearing a blue kimono and working on a small basket filled with various flowers. She raised her head and walked closer to Darken with a smile. The black-haired girl was almost ethereal. Two large white ribbons were on her head, in contrast with her blue kimono. She begun by handing him a flower. "Welcome to Celadon Gym. I'm Erika, Gym Leader. Here is a mayflower for our meeting." She said, handing him a small, white flower with five points "I'm sorry, it is my habit to speak in the language of the flowers, their meaning and arrangement is my main field." She said with a chuckle "Besides Grass-type Pokémon, of course. So, how many medals do you have?"

"Oh, one."

"Cosmo or Nina?"

"Cosmo."

"Oh, not an easy first Gym, congratulations. Very well, a 2 vs 2 for the Rainbow Badge. Do you agree?"

"Of course." He replied. Without adding anything more, Erika walked back to her position. "Very well then, let us begin."

Darken nodded, and they both sent out their first Pokémon.

Giovanni smiled "So, what do you think?"

"I… Don't really know. Team Rocket is an evil organization, isn't it?"

"What is evil about us?" He asked with a smile "I help people find their way in life. Sure, I make a profit, but so many of my associates would have been dead in some side alley without me."

"You… You steal Pokémon…"

"We take Pokémon from unworthy trainers that fail to protect them, yes. I do agree it is not our proudest endeavor. However, I only consider it a side job."

Parie did not know what to say "Can I… think about this a bit more?"

"Of course, of course." He replied "Please, go back to your room, and feel free to explore the base. Just make sure you have permission before entering in the lower areas." He said. Parie nodded, leaving.

"So, what do you think?" He asked at the apparently empty room.

"She does have some potential." A voice responded. A young female trainer with long black hair seemed to appear out of thin air. In truth, she had always been there, behind an illusion. Giovanni knew, and yet he could only tell from a few details, telltale signs she had taught him to recognize to prevent others like her to ambush him. "She did not notice me though, despite purposefully creating an illusion most trained Psychics would have seen through. I give her a five out of ten in actual ability, eight in raw talent. It will be a lot of work."

"Do as you see fit with her once she joins. More Psychics only help."

"Indeed. Though, 'unworthy trainers'? Seems harsh, and I don't remember ever hearing you make the distinction." She commented with a chuckle.

"If a Trainer has his Pokémon stolen he is unworthy of them. Don't you agree?" Giovanni simply asked, without a trace of a smile "Now go, Mebi. Keep an eye on the girl. If she tries to escape, we will resort to harsher measures."

"She is already in the Team, after all."

"Indeed. Joining Team Rocket is an offer you cannot refuse."


	28. Chapter 27: Flowers and Acid

Erika's first choice was Weepinbell. The Grass-type stared at Free. Surprising the Butterfree, Darken had decided to lead with him, instead of sending out first another Pokémon. His multiple eyes glanced at both the Pokémon and the trainer. Erika was smiling, commenting something on how beautiful it was to see a Butterfree, a Pokémon so important for her plants to grow healthy. The Weepinbell, on the other hand, was not losing a single movement of the Butterfly Pokémon.

'_Let's focus on her.'_ He thought with a grin. He had fought a couple Weepinbell before, and he knew he had all the advantages in the fight. With a cocky grin, he waited. And at the signal, two attacks fired. Confusion collided with Acid, the wave of telekinetic power expanding from Free and stopping the poisonous liquid on its tracks. Weepinbell however did not stop there, getting out of range thanks to the recoil of her shot.

Free dove in, and Weepinbell fired to her left with more Acid, dodging the Butterfree's Confusion. _'So she can change her position by firing Acid without holding herself. I have to keep in mind she is more agile than she should.'_ The Butterfree thought. As if to prove that, the Weepinbell threw herself upward with Acid, flying off above Butterfree. Stunned, the Butterfly Pokémon was hit by a second wave of the attack. He felt his body hit by the liquid, and immediately did a barrel roll to shake it off.

The Weepinbell landed surprisingly gracefully, using Acid at the end of the fall to stop her falling. _'Fine, a rocket-like Weepinbell with an Acid-based propulsion, that's fine.' _Butterfree thought, glancing at Darken _"Come on man, give me something"_.

The trainer answered at about the same time, and the butterfly Pokémon could not help but show a slight surprise, even though he knew it was a coincidence "Use the Drowzee tactic!" He shouted, and Butterfree grinned, flying in and preparing for a Confusion, his eyes shining as the kinetic energy built up. Weepinbell responded throwing herself to her right with Acid… and immediately Butterfree turned his telekinetic wave inward, throwing himself to the right. Before Weepinbell could react, he launched a second wave, and the Poison-type impacted against the Gym's wall.

Weepinbell rolled up, bouncing back on the field, but Butterfree was upon him before he could attack again, a second wave of Confusion hit, launching her upwards and then down, impacting the arena floor.

Erika smiled "I see you have learned from Cosmo."

"He used it with his Drowzee, I figured we could do the same with Free."

"Yes, I've seen Cosmo use that trick. It's impressive you could repeat it so fast. You and your Starter must be quite talented." Erika replied "Unfortunately, you aren't as good at telling if a Pokémon is out. Release."

"Wha…" Darken started, and then Weepinbell, that had looked out completely, seemingly exploded in a cloud of Stun Spore, a wave of powder erupting from his mouth. Free tried to move outside of range, but he ended up breathing the paralyzing substance. Instantly his movement became far more erratic, the wing fluttering unevenly. Of course, Weepinbell wasn't actually out, though he was barely holding on.

"Not a very lady-like move, I must admit." Erika said, still with a smile on her face "But I needed to make sure your Butterfree would stay in range, so Weepinbell pretended to be out. Just waiting long enough to build up the release of Stun Spore to make sure it was a range."

Darken gritted his teeth. He had relaxed thinking Weepinbell was out, and because of it now Butterfree was in a worse shape. Paralysis was not a nice sensation, especially for a Flying-type. Despite this, he ordered Free to unleash a Confusion. Weepinbell used his Acid to escape, but Free knew how to beat him. With a quick Confusion he entered back in range and ended the Grass-type. However, he failed to dodge the last Acid the Pokémon threw, the mild corrosive impacting on him.

Darken chose to recall him, leaving behind an Acid stain. Erika nodded "Good thinking. That will give him time to recover. However, that means you are also admitting you now face basically a one on one." She said, sending out Gloom "I suppose you expected as much."

"I actually expected Vileplume."

"Not for a beginner, if I lead with Weepinbell. Had I chosen Bellsprout or Exeggcute, or maybe even Ivysaur, I would have sent out Vileplume."

Darken evaluated his options. With Free basically out, he had Peat, Guardian or Kitsu to send out. After another moment, he opened the Ball.

Guardian had not expected to be chosen. Since he had decided to follow Darken, the Growlithe had noticed that he slightly favored Pokémon with the ability to fly, or at least to float, like Tuffball or Free. He had expected Peat to be the one. It was nice to be proven wrong, but also quite scary. _'Ok, let's see who I am fighting…' _He thought. The Gloom gave him a nod, before she readied herself for combat.

Guardian glanced back at his trainer for a moment, who nodded at him. The Growlithe felt strangely reassured by that. Then the fighting started.

Guardian jumped forward, sliding under a Razor Leaf to jump forward with a Take Down. Gloom rolled back surprised, apparently munching on something, as the Fire-type recoiled, many of his muscles feeling sluggish. Take Down was a full force charge, so the impact was risky even for the user. It was a good opening move, but the Growlithe could only use it four or five times before fainting.

Gloom smiled, and then launched a barrage of Acid from his mouth… that floated, dividing itself in purple bubbles, like a wall between Gloom and Guardian. Both the Pokémon and the trainer remained flabbergasted for a moment.

"Careful Guardian, there is a trick to it." His trainer called, and the Growlithe barked affirmatively. The bubbles begun floating closer, and Guardian decided to try and see what was the strategy of the enemy. He aimed at a far off one, and launched Ember. The acid bubble exploded like a balloon, and Acid flew in every direction, hitting the floor. However, there didn't seem to be any other trick to it.

Guardian smiled. If that was the case, he could just burn them all. He inhaled, and then unleashed a barrage of Ember.

Darken frowned, looking at the Acid bubbles exploding all at once. There were two mysteries there. Why Erika had chosen a tactic like that against a Fire-Type, and how were the Bubble formed. From his position, he could see the Gloom, unlike Growlithe, whose sight was covered by the numerous Acid spheres floating in front of him. The Grass-type was idly munching and releasing more of the objects, most of them being burned by the Growlithe. Sure, it was blocking the Embers, but Darken could not believe Erika was merely stalling.

'_If she isn't stalling, this is her counter move against a Fire-type, but what does it do…'_ That was when Darken noted a few bubbles not bursting on impact. Mostly on the side, they had been slowly accumulating, as Guardian attacked the floating Acid in front of him. And with surprise, he saw two of the bubbles forming a single one. As the bubble was illuminated, he could see something was floating inside.

"Guardian, dodge…" He called, but he was a second too late. The bubbles burst, and this time from them emerged not only a splatter of acid, but also a clearer liquid filled with what looked like powder. Guardian was hit, and immediately he howled as the Poison Powder in the liquid started to take effect. The sudden surprise was the opening Erika was waiting for. Gloom darted forward, ignoring her own creations, and unleashed an Acid stream on the Growlithe.

The Fire-type recoiled, and then twitched as the poison took hold of him. Gloom fired Acid again, this time the pokémon narrowly dodging and responding with Ember. Gloom took the hit, then begun to munch again, before releasing a new stream of Acid bubbles. And that was when Darken realized Guardian had moved too close to the others. He called, and Guardian jumped away, but with a grin the Gloom burst one of the Acid bubbles. With a chain reaction, the others did too, exploding in a puff of stinky liquid and Acid.

When the cloud dissipated, Darken had more or less pieced together what was going on. "Gloom mixes Acid and her own spit to create a bubble, and while she forms it pours Poison Powder into it, right?" He asked, trying to stall and figure out if Guardian was in the condition to continue.

"My, how very bright of you. Yes, Gloom's spit is a very viscous fluid, and it can be blown into a balloon if it is mixed with something equally viscous like Acid. We had to do a lot of trial and error to add the powder in the mix without it bursting immediately, but the result is quite spectacular." She smiled apologetically "I was worried your Pokémon would burn them all, but young trainers are either very cautious or very hot-headed. The former, like you, wait too long allowing the bubbles to slip through, the latter order their Pokémon to charge through."

Darken had noticed Guardian still up, smiling, but frowned when the canine Pokémon showed to be barely holding up. Take Down was out of the question, for now. Sure, it would have made him win, but it was likely the Fire-type would fall too, and Darken didn't want his first Gym Battle to end with a draw. _'He has done well, he deserves a victory.' _He thought, thinking of what to do.

"Shall we end this?" Erika asked. Gloom smiled, unleashing a new barrage of bubbles. Darken thought of a way to get out of it. Then nodded. "Odor Sleuth on the bubbles of Acid and close in!" He shouted. Guardian nodded, and his nose perked up smelling the closest orb, whining softly at the foul smell. Then, surprising both Erika and Gloom, he managed to slip through the entire barrage and close the distance, immediately unleashing Ember. Gloom winced, rolling back, and Guardian kept up the offensive.

The world of Guardian had always been divided between what he saw and what he smelled. Everything was always easier to perceive in the latter. And now Darken had given him a way to use it. He could smell the repugnant odor of the bubbles, and thanks to Odor Sleuth, a move that carefully made him memorize the smell of something, his body could instantly tell how a bubble was changing direction as he traversed the wall created by the gloom, even if they only changed course slightly. With his reflexes, he could dodge the spheres.

Of course, it wasn't perfect. When Gloom unleashed another barrage at close range, even his keen sense of smell and reflexes could only get him so far. He winced as multiple Acidic orbs exploded on impact, the poison that had entered his body through his skin adding further pain as he went numb. And yet, Guardian managed to dodge a good amount on pure instinct, and hit with another Ember.

The Gloom was sent back, and reflexively unleashed a wave of Acid in normal form. Guardian had a second to realize this was it. They had thought of the bubbles, but nothing forced Erika to stick to it. He looked at Darken, who reluctantly nodded. _'Well, I almost did it. Thanks for the first fight, boss.'_ The Fire-type thought with a smile. He used Take Down and charged forward, through the Acid. As he impacted, he felt his entire body finally going numb from both the Acid, the poison in his body and the recoil. The last thing he saw was Gloom flying back, then he fell to the ground.

Erika and Darken both looked at the two Pokémon. Growlithe was clearly out. If Gloom managed to stand back up, Darken would be forced to either forfeit or send out a Paralyzed and damaged Butterfree, with little hope of victory against the well trained Gloom.

However, with a sigh of relief, the trainer realized it was not the case. Erika recalled Gloom and turned to him. "Congratulations!" She said with another smile, this one incredibly wide "I did not expect Take Down. It was a brave choice from your Pokémon. He saw that his opponent outclassed him, and so took her down with him. Truly a fantastic show of loyalty." She took a badge from a pocket and walked forward. "This is the Rainbow Badge. With this as your second badge, you are no longer considered a novice, so to speak. Be prepared to face hard Gym challenges from now on."

Darken nodded, looking at the medal. "Do I really deserve it? We barely won…"

Erika now scoffed, a surprising reaction from her "Now, this is unacceptable, young man. You beat me. Did you hope in a perfect two – zero?"

"No but in the end, Guardian had to sacrifice himself, and if it didn't work…"

"If it didn't work you would have dealt with the consequences. It was a close affair, yes, but you won." She patted him on the shoulder "I will not have any nonsense. Trainers and Pokémon sometime have to give an unpleasant order to make the team win. Guardian clearly knew that. He knew full well that victory required him taking down Gloom, and chose to do so even if it meant not obtaining the glory of a victory but a humble draw. Do not sell him short."

Darken nodded, thoughtful "You are right. Sorry."

Erika smiled again, this time almost motherly, making Darken wonder how many different versions of a smile the Gym Leader had "No problem at all. I have already experience with trainers feeling bummed at victories like this. Remember it, and praise your Pokémon for his bravery, instead of beating yourself over some lack on your or his part." She nodded "And of course, if it makes you feel bad, train and get better." And with that, she left him. The young trainer walked off, looking at the Rainbow badge.

Later that day, Jake stuffed himself in Berries, a grin on his face.

"_Called it."_ He said.

"_Ah shut up."_ Tuffball and Free replied in unison. The Hitmonchan laughed loudly.


	29. Chapter 28: Ronin

Giuls observed the city she had just entered. Cerulean was a big city, but it was also showing signs of abandonment. There were various palaces with broken windows even this close to the city entrance, something she had not seen in her time in Pewter or Viridian. She wondered why the city was in this condition, but walked quickly ahead.

Before the Gym, she was interested in looking up something else. If she was right, in three days there was supposed to be a certain event in the northern part of town. She walked following the river-side road, and reached a large bridge, a wooden construction large enough to have ten people walk on it side by side. And on the bridge were affixed various decorations. Giant signs all over it advertised the Nugget Bridge Tournament, coming in three days.

Giuls knew that at that time of year various Festivals and Tournaments sprouted all over the region. Celadon was finishing their own, as she had read, and Cinnabar held the Sea Run in a month or so. Viridian was the only city without one was Viridian, since the Pokémon League already attracted a monthly influx of tourists and Trainers even without additional events.

She walked up to a stand nearby, where a young man was sitting scratching his chin. "Hello, is this where we can subscribe to participate in the Tournament?"

"Sure is, miss." The man replied, "Know the rules?"

Giuls nodded. She had read the rules on a poster before "It's a tournament where you can take part with up to three Pokémon, although each fight is a one v one. There is also a special ring-out rule: getting thrown out of the arena, or flying beyond the boundaries, will count as a defeat. Although I must admit, I really don't get that one."

"Ah, the Nugget Bridge Festival celebrates a famous legend known as 'The Golden Ronin of Hanada'. He faced humans and Pokémon alike when they attempted to take the city from the north, winning by throwing many in the river." He said, pointing to an inscription near the bridge. "No one knows if it's historical or just an old folk tale, but we remember it by adding the ring-out rule."

Giuls nodded, then signed the form. "Uh, what's 'category'?"

"Oh right, we have actually three Tournaments, open to different participants depending on their number of badges. One to three, four to six, seven or more. All with the same rule and everything, but it wouldn't be fun for younger trainers if we just let them face an expert. Before we instated the rule, we had a lot of people lamenting match ups. A Bulbasaur could never beat a Charizard, even in the brightest of days."

Giuls nodded a third time. The man was surprisingly talkative. She wrote down her name and her Pokémon, followed by marking the beginner category, then handed it to the man. He took the paper and put it in a folder nearby "Good. See you in three days then."

"Thank you." She said, walking off. She probably wasn't going to run into another event for a while, so taking part in this one was going to be fun.

"No problem miss. And good luck to you." He said. She smiled and waved, leaving. '_Very well, three days of training, and then we will get to do both a tournament and the Gym Battle.' _She looked at her clothes. They looked a bit too ruined. The travel that far was already taking a toll. _'But first, I should probably use some of my winnings to get some new clothes.'_ She thought opening the Poké Ball on her belt. Both Bulbasaur and Clefairy jumped out.

"We are going shopping." She announced. This proposal raised two very different reactions. Bulbasaur beamed with joy, almost jumping for the enthusiasm. More understandably, Clefairy seemed puzzled. Clearly, she had no idea what her trainer meant.

"Shopping is when we humans buy clothes and items. I might even buy some permitted held item for you two, what do you think?" She asked. Bulbasaur nodded enthusiastically, while Clefairy looked uncertain. Giuls took it as a maybe and begun to walk to the commercial district.

"_So again, what is so interesting about this?" _Clefairy asked, as the two walked behind Giuls.

"… _Are you for real? You don't see the appeal at all?"_ Bulbasaur asked, without moving her eyes away from the stores.

"_Well, no, not really. I mean, it's nice and all our Trainer gets clothes, but at best we can get, what did she call it, a held item?"_

"_Yes!" _Bulbasaur said _"And do you even know how GOOD held items are? Oh, I so wish to get my vines on a Miracle Seed! The feeling of sheer power one of those can give…"_

"_Isn't it Sheer Force?"_ Clefairy asked.

Bulbasaur stared at her for a moment _"You know, I thought you were smarter."_

"_You know, I thought you were kinder."_

"_Don't lie now, you never thought that."_ Bulbasaur said with a cackle.

Clefairy laughed back _"Fine, fine. Still, I think that…"_

In that moment, she looked back, noticing a man walking towards them. He bent down to look at the Clefairy and smiled. "My, you are quite strong, aren't you? Especially for someone that was caught recently." He said, scratching Clefairy's head.

Giuls noticed immediately Bulbasaur stopping, and turned to see Clefairy scratched and rubbed by a man in his early forties. "Uh, can I help you?"

The man almost seemed startled, as he turned to her, letting the pink Pokémon go "Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners? I just saw a good Pokémon and wanted to observe her." He said, standing up. He was quite tall, with short dark air and a rough beard. "Norman, from Olivine."

Giuls took the man's hand "Giuls, from Pallet Town."

"Ah, a young trainer early on in her journey. That's always nice to see." He said, looking at her Pokémon "One badge? I guess so, Viridian is still closed after all."

"Yeah, unfortunately. And you…"

"Oh, I'm actually on a training journey of sorts. Going around Kanto and Johto to take part in as many tournaments as possible before the exam." He explained "I was nearby when I heard of the Nugget Bridge Tournament, and of course I chose to come here."

Giuls smiled. Such an experienced trainer was rare to meet, outside of structures like the Battle Frontier or the League. "Uhm… So, what are you training for?"

"Well, it should be a secret, but there are a couple spots as Gym Leader that are going to be up for grabs soon. Apparently, some people are quitting without appointing a successor."

"Here in Kanto? Or in Johto?"

"Can't say that, sorry. It's considered confidential. But maybe you will get a hint soon, if you will be at the tournament." He winked "See you." And with that he left. Giuls observed him walk off, wondering what he meant. Then she shook her head.

"Alright girls. I guess we should continue on." She said. Still, as she looked at the stores she couldn't help but think there was something interesting in that man.

Clefairy puffed her chest, with a smug grin _"Heard that? Strong."_

"_Oh I heard. I wouldn't trust the opinion of a random individual on the street." _Bulbasaur replied, scoffing loudly. Clefairy grinned.

"_Are you jealous because he didn't say anything about you?" _She asked, moving closer to the reptilian Pokémon.

"_Oh please, I know I am strong. I don't need someone telling me."_ Bulbasaur said, averting her eyes. The grin on Clefairy's face became larger.

"_Oh, envy is such a terrible sin my dear friend."_

"_I'll show you what is a sin once I…"_ Bulbasaur replied, taking out a whip, then she paled. _"Hide me."_ She said, jumping behind Clefairy.

"_What, what is it?" _The star-shaped Pokémon asked, looking around.

"_Nothing, just, don't move from this position for a bit."_ Bulbasaur replied, though Clefairy noticed she was growing paler.

"_Are you ok?"_ She asked.

"_Just. Keep. Walking."_ The Grass-type hissed. Clefairy nodded, confused, and continued on, with Bulbasaur trying her best to hide behind her.

The Doduo and his trainer never noticed the two walking away.

"So tomorrow?" The Rocket Lieutenant asked "I hope so. Keeping the server here is a good idea, but now that Bill is searching for anomalies because of that Clefairy transfer it's becoming harder to hide it. I think the egghead over there is boiling."

"I can hear you!" A voice screamed.

"I know you can!" The Lieutenant replied, before returning his attention to the phone "Anyway, tomorrow we will send over the last few and then deactivate it until Bill is satisfied. What's the other order?"

"It's about the young trainers." Archer replied "The three that ruined our plans. They should arrive in the city tomorrow. I want a detailed report."

"Oh, the girl and the two boys, yeah. I saw the photo." The young trainer on the phone nodded "So, what's the plan? Ambush and steal?"

"Usually, I would say so. Unfortunately, a small problem has emerged about the two… boys, as you called them." He said "For now the objective is simple observation. Further orders will have to wait a few days. If they leave the city, you are allowed to pursue."

At this, the Lieutenant was surprised, raising an eyebrow "Pardon me, General Grey Houndoom, but is that true? It's… unusual. Are you sure I need to do it personally?"

"It's an order from Giovanni himself." Archer replied "He says one of our best Lieutenant needs to be deployed, of course referring to you. Your vice-Lieutenant will take over if you really have to leave."

"Yes sir." He said "What if they split sir?"

"Choose one of the two males, send a recruit or two after the other. Someone you can trust. Keep a close eye on him. We want detailed information." He said "Choose wisely, Orange Raichu. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir." The Lieutenant replied, noting the harsh tone of the General. Clearly he wasn't happy with how Domino's mission had ended, and a failure was not going to be taken lightly.

"Very well. Rocket out." Archer replied. The call ended.

Orange Raichu, as his codename went, could only stare at the phone for a moment. Then he turned "Petrel!" He shouted. The purple haired Rocket looked at him from the door of the base "I need some fake ID, pronto!"

The man nodded "Any name in particular sir?"

The Lieutenant thought about it for a moment. Then chuckled "I have a name in mind." As he explained, Petrel couldn't help but chuckle as well.


	30. Chapter 29: Last Preparations

Gastly waited, prepared. The ambush was hard to prepare, but he truly believed this was it. He had perfectly hidden himself, a shadow among shadows under a tree. His breath, usually something unnecessary he just did out of habit after spending time with breathing Pokémon, was now absent, to make sure to maximize his stealth. To complete his preparations, he had already set up a few scattered broken branches.

The three female Pokémon, the Ivysaur, the Clefairy and the Jigglypuff, walked under the tree, and he grinned. He slipped down from above, and as he did he prepared the Hypnosis. When he was sure it had taken hold, he emerged from the shadow. To them, he would appear as a creature from the underworld, an horrible being of pure madness.

"_Oh, Hi Gastly." _The Clefairy said with a smile. _"Can I help you with something?"_

Ivysaur and Jigglypuff both chuckled, as the Pokémon undid his illusion _"Alright, I need to know now, how? I prepared the terrain, I did not emit a sound, and I certainly looked scary."_

Clefairy nodded _"Scary, but not realistic. A creature of that size makes sounds your illusion lacks, and I can easily pick that up."_

"_I noticed Clefairy's reaction."_ Jigglypuff added.

The Ghost turned to the oddly colored Ivysaur, that simply shrugged _"Wasn't that scary."_

The last remark left Gastly physically and mentally hurt. With a slow floating movement, he returned to Charmeleon and Fearow, that were training nearby. Noting his defeated look, Fearow offered a sympathetic nod. _"Defeated again?"_

"_They are the hardest challenge I have ever faced."_ He scoffed _"I don't understand! How are they harder to scare than you two!"_

"_Well for starters they… Wait when did you scare us?"_ Fearow asked.

"_Doesn't matter, but there must be a way. I will find their weakness."_

Charmeleon stopped hitting the rock he was using as a target, reduced to chopped rubble, and scratched his head _"Are you sure you need to?"_

"_Absolutely. It's a challenge now! That Ivysaur even said I am not that scary. I, the King of Spook, the Emperor of Fear!"_ Gastly replied, a fire in his eyes _"I will have them scared!"_

Fearow and Charmeleon looked at each other and both shrugged.

"_Should we tell him that you can hear him as he prepares and Jigglypuff keeps checking what he is doing because she is worried?" _Ivysaur asked _"I am pretty sure he will not stop until he gets the jump on us."_

"_I don't know, should we tell him you are just good at hiding the fact you are scared, and that you have been sleeping in your Poké Ball for the last two days because you are terrified?"_ Clefairy asked in response, with a nasty grin.

"_Touché." _Ivysaur commented _"You Clefairy are not like they describe you."_

"_Of course." _The Star Pokémon replied, _"We are a lot better. Now let me listen."_

The shiny Ivysaur sighed loudly _'Why do we Ivysaur have to be the level-headed ones?'_ She thought with a long sigh.

"Cerulean City here we are!" Leaf shouted, a large smile on their face. Raziel and Draconix sighed in relief. Sleeping outside or in the Pokémon House was nice, but making the extra effort to reach the city would pay them back with a nice, comfy bed and food prepared by someone competent. He could swear the lunch Leaf had prepared the first day of their travel was still on his stomach. After that, both male trainers had agreed Leaf was banned from ever touching the cooking tools again.

Still, finally making it meant two things: a new Gym and, according to Giuls, a tournament all three were way too eager to take part into. Events like those weren't rare in the season, but still it was easy to miss one.

As they entered the city, Raziel could not help but notice signs of abandon. He briefly wondered if he could find any Ghosts in there, as abandoned buildings were usually a magnet for them, but he then realized that even if there were the chance of them not being Gastly were slim. _'Still something to keep in mind though.'_

After sending a brief message to Giuls, they walked to the northern part of the city. She had explained to them that the tournament was the very next day, so they better sign up. With the sun already setting, they chose to do so immediately.

The man behind the stand wasn't the talkative individual Giuls had described, but rather a younger man. Still, he was very helpful, helping them compile the documents.

"So only one of you will take the battle with three Pokémon, uh?"

"Well yeah, I only have one." Raziel replied, pointing at the floating sphere of gas behind him.

"And my third team member is too… unexperienced." Draconix added. Both Leaf and Raziel snickered at that.

"Fair enough. Well, good luck for tomorrow." He said, and all three thanked him while leaving. Raziel briefly wondered where they would meet up with Giuls, when they saw her coming down the road from the Pokémon Center, with a newly caught Clefairy and… an ecstatic Ivysaur, clutching on something with a vine.

"Oh, she evolved!" Draconix commented.

"Yup!" Giuls replied with a wide smile "Just this morning. I had to come back here and update my documents too. I honestly thought she would take a bit longer. Then to celebrate I took her to do some shopping, since she seems to like it." She said, pointing at the item the Grass-type was clutching.

"How did that go? You mentioned she is still a bit bossy." Raziel asked.

"Well…"

"_I want it! I WANT IT!"_ Ivysaur shouted, literally dragging Giuls to the item.

"_You know she can't understand you, right?" _Clefairy asked, looking almost with pity in her eyes at the trainer.

"_I don't care! I want that!"_

The Star Pokémon shook her head, and by extension basically her entire body _'Why do we Clefairy have to be the level-headed ones?'_ She thought with a long sigh.

"Good enough I think." Giuls concluded. The muffled laughter from Clefairy and the embarrassed scoff from Ivysaur were enough of an indication of their true opinion on how that trip went.

"Good to hear." Raziel replied, and Leaf walked onward. Looking at them side by side, Leaf was almost an entire head taller than the short tomboyish trainer.

"So, how are you doing Giuls?"

"Very good, how about you Leaf?" She asked.

She smiled, pointing at the four Poké Ball at her belt "I have already made up a decent team, I'd say. So, want to have a 'go' with me?" She asked, with a teasing tone. Giuls blushed.

"I insist that's not what I meant." She replied, with a flustered stutter. Leaf laughed and hugged her.

"Is good to see you Giuls."

"Thanks Leaf, you too."

Raziel bent his head toward Draconix "So, are they best friends or…"

"I don't know, me, Giuls and Blue didn't end up hanging out with other friends much when we were together. I guess each of us had his own friend circles when we weren't meeting up." He said, "Still weird I barely remember Leaf."

At that Giuls shrugged "You know Dracotung, is not my fault you have terrible memory."

"Why is that nickname still around…"

Giuls ignored him and continued "I expect Blue would not remember what I talk about, since his name is not in all my sentences, but you?"

"Come on, I remember most stuff, but is not like I met any of your friends, so her name didn't stick."

"That's because you never came when me and Blue organized a night for girls and boys to meet up." Giuls commented with a snark, walking closer to the trainer "And by the way, you do know I never bought the 'I have stuff to do' excuse, right?" Draconix turned bright red and Giuls sighed "Fine, I get it, going out with girls is not your thing. But then don't act surprised when you can't recognize one from your city."

Leaf smiled, lighting up the mood "Come on guys, let's focus on the present, not the past."

The tomboyish trainer turned to her, nodding. Raziel realized that was a perfect moment to change the subject, noticing the defeated look Draconix had, and instantly jumped in. "So, Giuls, you ready for the tournament?"

"With Ivysaur and Clefairy, I'm sure we can pull a win." The short-haired trainer said with a smile.

"Eh, I can say that too. I just need to add 'and Jigglypuff'." Leaf noted. "I will massacre everyone and bring home the win."

"I don't know if the fact you can say that with a smile is funny or concerning." Raziel commented "Anyway, seems we are all set I guess we can go. Dinner, sleep and then…"

"Tournament Time!" Draconix shouted with a smile.

Everyone cheered, and they headed off.

"Turns out Domino was right, one of the kids does have a Gastly." The Rocket member said, entering the main hall of their new hiding spot, a formerly abandoned house near the river "Not sure about the others, the girl has a new Poké Ball but she won't use whatever Pokémon is in it and the other one said his third Pokémon isn't experienced enough."

"And you are sure you have to leave?"

"That's what Archer said when I informed him of all the new details. Apparently, Giovanni wants a close eye on them, and is willing to send a Lieutenant and his chosen men."

His vice-Lieutenant, Kyoku, frowned "So, which of them are you following?"

"Don't know yet. I signed up to the tournament and work it out from seeing them in action. I am leaning for the Charmeleon one. Tell Proton and Petrel that I want them ready to follow the other one." He replied.

"Are you sure about them?" His sis asked.

"There isn't much of a choice, sis. You need to stay here to run the operations, and those two are the best choice left."

"… We really need better grunts."

"Tell me about it." He said, and they both chuckled "But no, I think those two will be fine. They just have to follow him, it's the kind of job they can't possibly screw up."

"If you think so…" Kyoku said with an uncertain tone "Anyway, Petrel says the IDs are ready and the masks and clothes too." She pointed to a bag nearby, similar to those commonly used by trainers "We have also prepared a few extra Pokémon." She added pointing to a belt with three Poké Ball, currently resting on a chair.

"We?" He asked with a knowing look, and Kyoku smiled back.

"Fine, I did. I just thought Raichu, Golbat and Raticate weren't enough, and depending on the ID might actually look suspicious."

The Lieutenant smiled. "Thank you, sis."

"Don't mention it frère, just make sure to not get caught and come back." She said. She then hugged him, an embrace he returned immediately. "We still owe everything to them." She continued "Make sure we pay back so we can leave."

"It's a pretty heavy debt to pay, but I will." He said back, leaving her arms "Good luck sis." He said, picking up the three Poké Ball from the belt and putting them on its own, before picking up the backpack. He put a hand in the side pocket of the bag, looking at the various fake IDs. He grimaced reading the name on one of the two that had his actual picture instead of a mask "Dragozard Drakon… I get Petrel isn't the most inventive of the surnames but damn, did he even try?"

"Your fault for choosing Dragozard to begin with."

"Oh, come on, it's a name full of meaning for us." He said, putting back the IDs.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it." She replied "Lieutenant Frant always suited you better."

The Lieutenant chuckled "My actual name should stay a secret for a mission like this. Anyway, I'm probably not gonna use it anyway." He walked away, moving to the door "Goodbye Kyoku, I'll miss you."

"Bye Frant… or should I say Dragozard?"

They both laughed, and he left, closing the door behind. Kyoku bent her head back on the chair and sighed "Stay safe, frère. I can't lose you too."

"So, where are you going next?" Giuls asked, as they all ate together.

"Well, I think after the tournament I will go for Saffron." Leaf replied "It's a tough Gym, I probably don't want to beat around the bush with that one."

"Really?" Raziel asked "I am keeping that for last, or at least close to that. With a Gengar I might have some hope, with Gastly… Cosmo would probably mop the floor with him."

"So Vermillion or Lavender and then Celadon?" Draconix asked, curious.

"Probably Vermillion. There is an event about the SS. Anne soon, and a lot of people from outside Kanto will be around. Hopefully one of them will have a Ghost and will be willing to trade it for something I can reasonably give them." The Ghost trainer replied "I trust Gastly to take me to the League, but if I can get some extra help for my team I will not refuse."

"Right, you have the toughest road ahead." Giuls commented "Not to sound like a broken record, but why Ghosts and not, I don't know, Bugs? They are both scary."

Raziel looked uncertain for a second, Giuls noted. Almost as if the question reminded him of something else. Then the look disappeared, and he answered "I always liked the paranormal. You know, spirits, apparitions, mediums, all the big deal. I guess growing in Lavender helped. When the greatest pet cemetery in the region is right next door, the city is bound to be filled to the brim with Ghost-types. And I find them… easy to understand. Easier than people." He noticed their puzzled looks and continued "Ghosts have an objective. Pranksters, vengeful spirits, a basic need to feed of emotions… You know what they want. When a Banette comes after you, you know it's because you mistreated and threw away something important. When a Gastly insists on haunting some place, you know that's where he died. When a Misdreavus jumps out from behind a curtain, you know they want to eat." He smiled, with a serious look "I like that. Ghosts sound scary, but they are the most honest of all Pokémon."

Everyone nodded "Yeah, I get it." Leaf said "I was considering getting a Gengar, you know? Any tips?"

Raziel's eyes shone brightly, and Draconix sighed. "Oh Arceus…"

Before Giuls could ask why he had reacted like that, Raziel begun to talk. An influx of information, a torrent on Gengar's behavior, favorite habitat, moves, and so on flowed from his mouth, as Leaf and Giuls looked in disbelief at the usually calm trainer getting heated in his long explanation on the behavior of the Ghost types. "You knew he would do that when she asked, didn't you?" Giuls asked.

"Yeah, I made the same mistake." Draconix said "Buckle up, we are going to be stuck here for a while." Giuls sighed, and Draconix could not help but chuckle, before returning his attention to Raziel's long monologue on the Ghost-type. Giuls did the same with a smile.

The Lieutenant observed the four trainers, a close eye on the two males. He was sitting at a table near them, one where they wouldn't notice him. He was eating methodically, looking absent minded, when in reality he was listening closely.

'_A Ghost specialist, uh?' _He thought, touching one of the Poké Ball _'That might make things easier. Thanks sis.'_ He thought, taking out the phone to send a message to Petrel and Proton. He was starting to formulate his strategy.


	31. Chapter 30: Bridge Tournament (1)

As the sun shone brightly in the sky and the wind lightly swept the river, a crowd started to gather around the central arena located on the Nugget Bridge. The large construction was special, surrounded by wooden stands clearly positioned for the occasion on the sides, to allow people to watch the matches like in a gym arena. From what Raziel had heard, they had been created years back by an engineer to make sure as many people as possible could see the fights.

Not that he cared, since he was currently trying to calm his nerves. This was his first fight in front of such an audience. Sure he knew it was part of the course for most trainers, and he had already experienced a taste on Mount Moon and during the Academy exam, but still, going from that to a hundred or so of complete strangers was quite the jump.

He calmed himself by sitting down and taking deep breaths. He was on the side of the arena, with the other participants of his category. A series of chairs had been placed there, and almost everyone was sitting down. A few would sometimes jump up in excitement, like he had done just a minute before.

There were currently fifteen people, including him, sitting there. Since there had been twenty participants of their level, they had organized a few matches to reduce the number down to sixteen and have a normal tournament. Him and the others had not been selected for those, so they had gotten to observe their possible challengers.

Instead of looking at the arena, was an Ekans was fighting with a Poliwag, he looked at his friends. Draconix was focusing on the fight, or at least he was trying: his right leg was shaking up and down at a fast pace and he was sweating. Giuls was taking deep breaths, but she looked pale. The only one legitimately at ease was Leaf, who didn't seem to care at all: she was cheering at the fight, doing her best to rise Giuls and Draconix morale, as the two were sitting on her sides.

Finally, the Ekans won, the Poliwag falling defeated to the ground. The announcer declared the young Trainer winner and pointed the chair to him, while the loser moved away. And then the tournament proper begun. The man walked to a covered board, that was being updated with the current names, and Raziel checked his own chair. He had ended up sitting in number eleven, so he was going to be called for that. It was easy to remember the others were one, two and three.

The announcer smiled. "We will now begin the tournament proper for the beginner group! As is tradition, being sent beyond the boundaries of the field, either on land or while floating, will count as an immediate defeat. Our referees will make sure the rule is respected, so don't even think of having an advantage, Flying-type users!" He said "Who will triumph of those sixteen trainers? The winner will receive a monetary prize of 5.000 PokéDollars, and of course the fame from winning the competition."

With a smile, he uncovered the tournament brackets. Raziel looked at the various faces. His first match, the third of the first turn, was against someone he didn't know. When he looked at the remainder of the matches, he audibly gasped.

Giuls H.G. Touki versus Leaf Gurin, as the third match of the first turn… The two girls looked at each other.

"So soon?" Giuls asked, surprised. She had hoped to go at least one round without facing any of her friends. However, Leaf seemed just happy.

"Good luck Giuls." she said, and Giuls noticed the shift in her behavior. Usually, Leaf was a ball of smiles and sunshine. She could make an entire room laugh with a single joke, and when she smiled anyone would smile. However, before a serious match she was different. What Giuls jokingly called her 'serious mode' was actually impressive to see for anyone that knew her. Her expression was focused, and she was clearly thinking on her best strategy. Of course, with this being their first match, she didn't have nearly enough information, but Giuls was more than sure that she was going to come at her with the best choice. She wouldn't be surprised if she actually guessed what was going to be her first choice. Back at the Academy, she had won on her very last Pokémon against Leaf, mostly thanks to type advantage.

To think now she had to face her in a one on one, made her worry. _'Losing again…' _Giuls looked at her right, just two seats from her. Allen Ayn. The trainer that had defeated her back in Pewter was sitting there, a satisfied smile on his face, sharing a conversation with the Trainer next to him, wearing a tuxedo similar to the one she had when they me the first time. Giuls could swear he was glaring at her at times. _'Am I just imagining it?'_ She wondered. Maybe she was, but she felt intimidated. Allen had handed her and Bulbasaur a defeat and then called her out on all her insecurities. Maybe…

"Giuls, Giuls." Draconix voice made her snap out of her thoughts, as she turned to him. He pointed at Raziel's Gastly, standing victorious over a defeated Oddish.

'_I was so distracted I completely missed the first match?'_ She realized in shock. In response, she slapped her cheeks, puzzling Draconix. _'No time to think of any of that. I am going to win this.'_

She stood up and moved to the arena, trying her best to hide the fact she was nervous. The cheers from the crowd now seemed distant. All that existed for Giuls were the arena and Leaf. The two female trainers looked at each other, and with a single movement, at the referee's signal, threw a Poké Ball.

Ivysaur entered the field, staring at her opponent. The shiny Pokémon of the same species was doing the same, studying each other.

Ivysaur knew she was at a disadvantage here, feeling her new, heavier body. She had evolved the day prior, while training near the river, and she had to admit getting used to weighing so much more was hardly easy. They had already tested she could still pull herself around with Vine Whip if needed, but in this fight that was not going to happen.

"Ivysaur, go for the melee!" Shouted Giuls, and Ivysaur nodded charging forward with Tackle. Her opponent did the same, and their head butted against each other, both Pokémon starting to push each other.

"_So, how is it going?" _She asked with a grin, the shiny Pokémon smiling back.

"_Good. How about you, princess?"_ The other replied, and Ivysaur winced, feeling the shiny pushing her back. Both of them came from the same breeder, the one that sent the starters to Pallet. To Ivysaur, the shiny Pokémon was a nuisance, the one Pokémon that would take the spotlight away from her back then.

"_Cheeky for someone that has never beaten me. Did you forget you never beat me before?"_

"_No, I haven't. And have you noticed I have evolved?"_

"_Well I did too." _Ivysaur planted her feet and pushed more. She could feel her challenger doing the same. At this point, the match had devolved into a sumo match of sorts, both Pokémon trying to push the other out of the arena. It had seemed like an unconscious choice, but they had realized at the same time it was the best option.

"_Indeed. But not for long enough to adapt to your new physique." _And saying so, the shiny Ivysaur pushed forward, planting her feet and slowly moving the balance in her favor. The red-flowered Ivysaur started to lose ground. _"Our body gets stronger, but you are still clumsy with the new weight. I on the other hand know how to use my new balance at its best. Let me finally show you that you aren't perfect."_

Ivysaur glanced to her back, noticing the border getting closer. Then she glanced at Giuls, and seeing her nodding after a moment she smiled. Her shiny counterpart looked at her puzzled, then Ivysaur emitted four vines. Two planted themselves into the ground, while two more grabbed the other. _"I know you are probably more coordinated and skilled in using your evolved body. I know I am not the perfect specimen I thought I was. But allow me to explain you why I am still superior."_ She opened a leaf to show a large seed enshrined underneath. _"I know how to make myself stronger."_

The seed shone and the grip of the vines grew. Planting her feet in the ground, Ivysaur moved the vines and sent the other flying. The other tried to throw her own vines, but Ivysaur knew she had won. With a strong slam, the shiny landed outside of the arena.

Giuls sighed in relief, as the referee announced her victory, and walked to the middle of the ring, following Leaf. They both recalled their Pokémon, and on the referee request took the other's hand in a handshake. "Daaamn, I can't believe I lost at the first round." The long-haired girl commented, with a slight pout Giuls noticed immediately.

"It goes like that. To be fair, I made up this plan knowing you'd use your own Ivysaur."

"That doesn't make me feel better, I did the same." Leaf replied, her look turning to battle seriousness "At this stage, usually Ivysaur use mainly health statuses like Poisoning or Sleep, so I figured I could avoid that by using her. And to add to that, I knew yours evolved only yesterday. Aaah, I can't believe you banked on that!" She continued, Giuls listening to her explanation trying to hide her surprise. The reason she had thought she would choose Ivysaur was just that they had the same starter and she knew firsthand that they were strong, and banking on her new item to overpower her at the right time. There was a reason she had tried to keep the Miracle Seed a secret. It was a gamble designed after Ivysaur had evolved at an unexpected time.

Giuls nodded, but she couldn't really be happy of her victory. In a way, it didn't feel deserved. She had largely won thanks to an item and the rules. "Well, we will fight again. Next time without a ring-out. I am sure that one will go differently."

"Did you just say you will lose next time?" Leaf asked. Giuls covered her mouth, but the girl took her hand "Giuls, we already talked about this. You need to stop underplaying your strength. You are a good trainer, you can't keep thinking 'I can't do this'!"

Giuls nodded, smiling "Thank you, Leaf. I promise I will." But she couldn't stop thinking at how the fight would have gone in a real match.

The Rocket Member observed his targets carefully. The Gastly was a good Pokémon, and resilience seemed to be his deal. That, and the phasing trick. He watched the Sandshrew's Poison Sting phase right through his opponent gaseous body, to be immediately countered with a fast Night Shade. The move was executed quickly, a mere moment of delay between eye contact and impact. Quite better than he had expected. Clearly, that was the Gastly's main move. He observed Raziel call for a second one, and the Gastly getting hurt but pulling it off, the Sandshrew falling to the ground. _'Repetitive.'_ He thought. A competent trainer could have easily figured out the pattern and used it.

Lieutenant Frant's first mission had been as a recruiter for Team Rocket. He had a certain eye for trainers, with a few of his recruits having themselves become Vice-Lieutenants, quite the result. It had become a habit to watch for such things when he observed tournaments. For the same reason, his observation of Draconix' Fearow told him a lot about him. The Flying-type and the trainer seemed to share a style of combat devoted to all out attack. More than once, his Pokémon over-extended itself, leaving himself open to an attack he could have easily dodged if it wasn't for that. Sure, the Mankey was at a disadvantage, and that led to his defeat in the fight, but if he was a judge, he'd have called him the winner. _'Not as good as I hoped. We'll see if the Charmeleon is more of a challenge.'_ He thought.

With Draconix fight, the first turn was over. Of course, he had won his own fight, easily. Taking part might have seemed unnecessary to other Lieutenants he knew, but he believed first contact deserved to be done through combat. According to the fake ID he had used to register himself, he was a two medals trainer, so he could slide in some stronger Pokémon and test the two enemies properly. First-hand combat was a good way to see how good they were, even beyond observing their fights passively.

The mask hitched a bit he noted, but he had to admire Petrel's skill. While Proton was good at making fake IDs, it was Petrel's skill with costume making that was almost supernatural of the two. His masks were almost almost undistinguishable from real skin at sight.

And as he thought so, the second turn started. The girl that had defeated Leaf Gurin, the girl that had stopped the attack at Mount Moon with the other two, was now fighting against another trainer, Clefairy against Geodude. Normally he'd have ignored her, but he already knew she was a friend of his targets. And in that case, he could always learn more on her for safety.

What he saw though was disappointing. The girl lacked skill as a fighter, that was easy to tell. Not nearly enough orders, often leaving it to her Pokémon's instinct. Not a bad idea at times, but this was far too often. The silver lining was that most of her orders seemed to be very effective. The Clefairy was also well trained, even if still a bit too green. There was potential there too, but it was overshadowed by a lack of communication with her team. _'All three are green in their own way. I suppose I shouldn't be too harsh, but then I am surprised Domino got beaten. Although, of course, it wasn't entirely a matter of combat.'_

Then Raziel entered the field, and Frant perked up to prepare to observe the next fight. And when he saw the Pokémon his tuxedo-wearing opponent chose, he smiled. _'Well then, what do we have here…'_ This new fight was going to prove very interesting to observe.


	32. Chapter 31: Bridge Tournament (2)

Raziel stood there, dumbfounded. The Pokémon in front of him was a sight he had not expected to see any time soon, as their natural habitat was far away. The Duskull's red eye shone brightly, keeping his gaze on the other Ghost.

"A Duskull? Those aren't from around here."

Allen, his opponent, smiled "Of course, my family has been around. Even before starting my journey, I already owned four Pokémon from Johto and Hoenn. I figured it was only fair that I'd challenge a Dexholder and a specialist of Ghost-types with one of those." He said, with an overexaggerated bow. "I pray you prove better than my previous experience with one of you."

Raziel nodded "I hope I'll prove a good challenge." He commented, wondering who Allen had fought before for a moment, before focusing back on the fight.

"_So after a Ghost I run into another."_ Gastly noted with a large smile.

Duskull did not speak immediately, instead studying his opponent with a thoughtful expression. _"You are not a natural born, right? You have a mother and a father of the ghostly variety, yes?"_

"_I… Well, yes, why do you ask?"_

Duskull kept studying him thoughtfully _"Peculiar, absolutely peculiar. Very well, show me your ability young spirit."_

"_How old are you? You can't have been a Ghost for more than a year or two judging by your size."_ Gastly asked, surprised by the way of talking of the Duskull.

"_Well, I passed away at ninety-five in my mountain lair as an elderly Pokémon before returning in this humble form. You will forgive me if I cannot take you as a peer of main in terms of age."_

'_Fantastic, he's one of those…' _Gastly thought with a sigh. Most Ghosts that derived from a spirit only maintained a few memories of their past self. It was usually a memory of the cause of their bond to the world of the living, more than any other. Age became hardly a part of those memory, and the young Ghosts were effectively young. However, sometimes someone's bond to the world was strong enough to preserve their entire life, which meant they could prove quite tricky to handle.

Once the referee gave the order, Gastly darted ahead on Raziel's order. He hit with Lick and saw the Duskull gasp as the damage and the paralyzer hit. Then the Pokémon did something very unexpected, a shadow of a mandible forming under his skull and biting Gastly's tongue. The Pokémon screeched as the Bite damaged him, before managing to free himself right before a Night Shade could hit him.

"_Ok, that doesn't sound like a move a Duskull should know."_ Gastly replied, trying to build some distance between them.

"_No." _The Ghost replied, floating after him before going for a second Bite "_An Exploud would though."_

"_Oh, give me a break!" _Gastly replied, avoiding narrowly the attack and going for a Lick again. He noticed the enemy's movement growing a bit more sluggish. _'So, they do work on Ghosts. How does that even…'_ He dodged at the last second another Bite, yelping as he turned to gain more distance. He kept an eye on the edge of the arena, dangerously close, but he had to think of a biting Duskull now.

He looked at Raziel, clearly divided between being worried for Gastly and absolutely gushing for Duskull, and the Trainer smiled "Show him what you learned from Pewter!" He shouted. Gastly smiled.

"_Tell me..." _He begun, carefully moving to the left and keeping the distance from the Biting Duskull _"Shouldn't an Exploud know better moves than just Bite?"_

"_Yes, unfortunately, the others would not work on you, and I am not strong enough to use those that would. Apologize, if it seems like I am going easy on you."_

Gastly grumbled. The Pokémon was far too polite for his tastes.

Duskull studied his young opponent. He was far too old to be defeated by any trick he could come up with, but he supposed it would be amusing to allow him to try himself a bit. Unfortunate, but he was going to be his steppingstone to prove himself to Allen. His young trainer seemed to have mostly accepted Duskull's eccentricity, and he was going to return the favor with glee.

The Gastly darted forward, moving left and right, up and down to try and confuse him. The Duskull smiled – or tried to – and jumped ahead, preparing to Bite his opponent once more as he moved down to the ground.

And then the Gastly chuckled and phased underground. The Bite left him eating dirt and nothing else.

When he turned to see where the other had gone, he felt a ringing sensation, like someone had screeched in his face for a moment, but a second later his 'sight' came back. _'What was that?"_ He wondered, looking around. He felt… weird.

"_You thought you were strong?"_ The voice of the Gastly asked, now warped. He searched around, finally feeling him on the other side of the arena. The Duskull ran forward, aiming a bite, but the Gastly chuckled _"You are just a dead mon with no tricks." _And saying so, he begun to grow, until Gastly was looking at a mountain. He savagely bit, bit and bit, as Gastly laughed and laughed. And at each bite, he felt pain on his own body, until the world went silent.

Raziel sighed in relief, as the Duskull fell to the ground, having Bitten his own body into unconsciousness while Gastly hit with Night Shade.

He smiled at the Pokémon "Good Confuse Ray Gastly!" He exclaimed, and the Pokémon smiled back. Raziel could not help but feel proud. Figuring out how to use Confuse Ray fast enough had taken them days, but now he believed Gastly to truly be unstoppable. Especially because the move combined well with Night Shade.

Allen, on the other side of the field, recalled the Duskull and murmured something. Then he turned to Raziel "Thank you sir. I see at least some of you deserve the Pokédex."

Raziel smiled back "Thank you for the fight." He said, walking ahead himself "Your Duskull is very peculiar. Where did he learn those moves?"

"No idea. He just knew them from the moment I caught him."

"Them? There is more?! Show me, please!"

Allen laughed "Sorry sir, I can't show all my aces here, don't you think? Though I'll just say, one of them can cause quite the Uproar."

Raziel could not help but feel disappointed, but then shook his head and shook his hand "Well, I suppose, until next time then."

"Of course." Allen said, then he moved closer "In confidence, I have to ask how you and Giuls are in the same group. I clearly see you are a far better trainer."

Raziel recoiled at that, feeling some anger grow. "I am sorry, but I'd prefer you didn't speak about a friend of mine like that. I would suggest taking it back now."

Allen immediately pulled back "Of course, pardon me for my manners." He replied, with a grin "Simple curiosity. Well, good luck with your journey." The tuxedo-wearing blonde turned, leaving.

Raziel moved back to the chair, but on the way was stopped by Giuls, that grasped his hand and stared at him "What did he say?"

The Ghost Trainer looked at her, noticing she seemed worried "Nothing much." He lied "He is rather blunt about not liking you, but I bet is just that he doesn't know you well."

Giuls grumbled. Whatever she was thinking, she did not share it with Raziel.

Frant nodded as his Ekans easily dispatched the enemy's Nidoran. The male purple Pokémon was clearly on the backfoot, with no way to use his strategies and no moves besides Peck to break the Ekans' defenses. For the Lieutenant, it was a trivial thing, that left him with all the time in the world to think of the fight between the Gastly and the Duskull.

'_He knows well how to use his tactics, and Gastly and him understand each other with little need of pure orders.' _Of course, there had been hole in his tactic. Most important, he had picked up on why the Gastly had hidden underground before using Confuse Ray.

"Winner: Jak Dexon!" The referee shouted, and Frant nodded seeing Ekans had finished the Nidoran. He gave a polite handshake to his opponent, a young girl clearly saddened by the defeat, and returned to his seat. He looked around. Only Giuls, Raziel and him were sitting there right now. Draconix was taking the field, for the last fight of the second round. Overall, he was more impressed, but could still see flaws. The Charmeleon left himself open with large swipes every time he used those famous Breaking Claws. And if Raziel over relied on a single move at a time, but at least switched which, the Fire-type was not even trying to fire Ember or any other move, just slashing wildly. He won, but the fight was rather uninteresting.

He looked at the remaining bracket. _'So, the girl called Giuls versus Raziel and me versus Draconix. Then, a finale between me and him hopefully."_

Giuls bit her lip, facing Raziel. She knew what was troubling her. Raziel had defeated Allen, and quite easily all things considered. _'Could I have done the same? Could I have won against Allen?'_ She wondered in her mind, almost lost in her thought.

When Raziel sent out Gastly, she pondered who to send. After a moment, she chose Clefairy. The Normal-type looked puzzled at her, then turned to face the Ghost-type. The trainer waited, and then the referee gave the signal.

Gastly was the first to move, launching an assault with Lick. She called for her to dodge the attack, despite her surprise on Gastly choosing to use the move, and the Pokémon gracefully jumped forward, above the Ghost-type. The tongue only grazed her – which surprised Giuls - as the star-shaped Pokémon turned around with a quick finger movement. Metronome turned into a high pitch screech like metal grinding on metal. Gastly shivered notably, before he turned only to get blinded by a second wiggle of the finger turned into a Sand Attack. The Pokémon's eye closed, and Clefairy wiggled again the finger. _'Come on…'_ Giuls thought. She had chosen Clefairy because of her variety of moves thanks to Metronome. It was an hard bet, but she trusted the Pokémon to pull out the right move.

The Ice Punch impacted on Gastly, who flew back, almost over the age, but managed to stop himself right on time. Gastly turned and responded with a Confuse Ray. The beam begun to charge, but Clefairy jumped forward before it could complete. Wiggling the finger, she forced Gastly to move and dodge an incoming blow… even though said blow turned out to be Strength, the Clefairy's muscle tensing as she produced an impact on the ground strong enough to shake it. Gastly gulped loudly, but at Raziel's order moved to attack again.

The Ghost Pokémon dove underground, and Giuls realized what he was doing. She called for Clefairy to hit with Metronome, and she obeyed, firing a weird attack, the mysterious power of the move generating a loud sound like that of a hundred different frying pans hitting each other. But Gastly wasn't there.

That was when Giuls realized he had popped up on the other side, and saw it cough. Before she could realize why the Pokémon had made himself noticed, she saw Raziel's smile as Clefairy turned. "Close your…" She begun, but the Hypnosis hit, and Clefairy fell, asleep. Gastly immediately hit with a series of Lick and Night Shade. To her horror, Giuls saw them hit. _'Why? She is a Normal-type…'_

Raziel grinned noticing her expression "Clefairy is a weird one, you can actually hit it with Ghost-type moves even though she is Normal. We figured it out by chance, while training with Leaf on Mount Moon." He said, as the referee raised his hand to announce him as the winner. With a sigh, Giuls recalled her Pokémon and shook Raziel's hand. She walked off the stage and joined Leaf on the side.

"Why?" Leaf asked.

"Uh?"

"Why Clefairy?"

"I thought I could use her Normal-type to avoid hits and then fire with Metronome until I got a good move." She said, looking away.

"Don't lie. That's not your kind of fighting. You know Self-destruct and Explosion are both risks with every Metronome, not to mention wasted moves like that Strength. Why didn't you use Ivysaur."

Giuls sighed "Because back when she was a Bulbasaur, Ivysaur lost against the Trainer Raziel beat before. Because _I_ lost against him. And so, when I knew Raziel was going to send out Gastly, I couldn't help but wonder if she could have won. If I could have won against him."

Leaf shook her head "Giuls, that's absurd! You know that's not how fighting works! You know…"

"I know!" She shouted, before lowering her voice again when a few people glanced at her "I know, but… But I couldn't shake it. Rationally I know I should have gone for Ivysaur. Sure, she could be hit, but she had far more reliable moves. I… Made a mistake. I didn't trust my Starter because we are only getting better now at understanding each other, and seeing Allen brought back everything."

Leaf was thoughtful for a while, as Draconix and his challenger walked on the ring, then shook her head "Then figth him and beat him. That will solve the problem. We are Trainers, that's what we do. We lose and win. When we lose, we plan a rematch." She patted her on the back, and Giuls could see a fire build in her eyes "Now let's focus on the rest of the tournament. After that, we will work on your strategy to take him on. What did he use?"

"A Doduo." Giuls replied, and Leaf's grin grew wider.

"Nice, I will think of something." She commented "Get ready to train, we will show him what you have."

Giuls sighed, and finally smiled a bit. _'I don't know how much that will help, but…'_ "Thank you, Leaf." She concluded out loud "I really need that."

The girl blushed a bit, and then chuckled taking her by the shoulder in a hug "What are friends for, after all?"


	33. Chapter 32: Tournament's End

Draconix observed his opponent, a Trainer called Jak. The blonde Trainer sent out an Ekans, and Draconix pondered his choices. After a moment, Charmeleon jumped in the field. "Alright, keep the distance and go for Ember." He said. The main danger of a Poison-type was unsurprisingly his venom. Draconix knew full well that he had the upper hand in this fight so long as he kept Charmeleon from being burned.

The Fire-type obeyed, moving around the Pokémon and launching barrage after barrage of Embers. Ekans, in response, leapt forward, slithering on the arena floor and quickly dodging the Embers. Charmeleon grunted seeing it come in close, and Draconix realized their first plan was already done: jumping back would have meant ending up outside the arena and losing. "Go on the offensive then! Breaking Claw!"

Charmeleon roared and hit with the claws the snake. In response, the Ekans coiled around his arm, blocking the attack, and bit. The Toxic begun to flush into Charmeleon, to the point Draconix could have sworn he was turning green for the malaise of the poison. In response, however, the Fire-type launched and Ember barrage at the snake, even if it hit his arm too in the process. Ekans hissed furiously, and in response Charmeleon grinned. Draconix nodded "Can you keep that up?" He asked. He knew that, even if his scales were fire resistant, Charmeleon couldn't be completely comfortable to throw Ember at his own arm. However, Charmeleon simply nodded, taking a breath and unleashing a second barrage. Ekans, however, was not stupid. At the last second, she uncoiled himself and darted forward. The Embers only scraped her, while her follow up Bite forced the Charmeleon one more step back.

The Snake Pokémon grinned seeing the Pokémon only one step from the arena border, and at Jak's order let go. Landing on the ground, it quickly leapt forward with Tackle. At the same time, however, Charmeleon unleashed his Breaking Claws on the arena floor. Planting his arms in the ground, he managed to resist the push. The impact made both of them clench their teeth, but the first to recover was Charmeleon, that quickly swiped upwards with a follow up Breaking Claw, sending Ekans flying back.

"Alright, we regained the distance, keep it up."

"It's over." Jak replied "Sorry, but I win." He said.

"What? But he didn't get sent out of the Arena!" Draconix protested, looking back at his Pokémon to make sure that even Charmeleon tail was, if narrowly, in the ring. But when the Charmeleon took a step, he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Toxic." His opponent explained as the referee announced his victory "You completely forgot you were running against time as well, so you lost."

Frant shook his head, looking at Draconix distraught expression. _'The Trainer's job is to adapt to the situation, not just to passively order a brainless charge. You clearly trust your Pokémon on the offensive, Draconix, but you only think about that. The moment I went for Toxic, you should have changed your strategy to throw Ekans outside.'_ He thought. He moved forward to shake his hand, then went back to his position, while the younger Trainer left. The finale was going to see 'Jak Dexon' facing Raziel Spartos, exactly as planned.

He looked at Raziel and Draconix, the former patting the latter on the back, both chuckling at some joke, and then grabbing each other hand. '_Sounds like they have made some agreement.'_ He thought, as the Ghost Trainer walked in position '_Very well, let's see this.'_

Gastly came out of the Ball, positioning himself on the opposing side.

With a smile, Frant sent out Houndour. The Poison and Fire-type gritted his teeth and glared at Gastly, a low rumble uncharacteristic of his kind building up. The Rocket Lieutenant shook his head. Houndour was a Gyarados in the wrong body in his opinion. The Pokémon was rare in Kanto, and even his type was called into question, since he didn't seem to share every weakness and resistance of other Poison types, but for him it was sufficient to know it worked remarkably well to fight Ghosts. He notice a lot of spectators seemed to be particularly interested, and he could see why. Kyoku had raised a number of those, though she never felt comfortable with them, so to him it wasn't quite so special, but for most people Houndour was about as rare of a sight as a Farfetch'd.

When the referee gave the go, Houndour howled and darted forward. Gastly tried to fade, but Frant did not care. At his order, Houndour released a cloud of Smog from his mouth, the poisonous gas slowly drifting toward the target.

Of course, Gastly propelled himself forward and attacked with Lick. Houndour reacted snapping at him with a Bite, but with a twirl the Ghost's tongue connected with Houndour's skin.

Gastly evaded carefully the Fire-type's fangs, gasping inwardly as he dodged the attack. With a quick movement he started preparing a Confuse Ray, but before the attack was ready the enemy jumped to Bite him, forcing him to stop and dodge to execute a Night Shade. In response, instead of dodging the shadow, the Houndour jumped through it to release another wall of Smog.

'_Seriously, why Smog?'_ He wondered, yelping as a Bite connected, the teeth cutting through his body like sharp razors. Then the Pokémon released Smog again, happily taking a Night Shade on the flank in the process.

Gastly coughed. As a partially Poison-type, he did not suffer any serious risks from breathing gas, but this was starting to turn into a thick fog rather than the usual attack. The Houndour emitted it again, this time not even aiming at him, and simply carefully dodging the follow up Lick. _"Wait, he is a Fire-type, then…" _The Ghost gasped in realization and turned around, realizing just how much smog was covering the field. A lot of gas… all very flammable.

"_I commend your instinct, Ghost. But is too late." _The Houndour growled, his mouth opening to release the Embers.

And then the Arena exploded.

Raziel stared with his mouth wide open at the torrent of fire that invaded the field as the Smog caught fire all at once. He had realized only at the last second what the enemy was planning. When the fire cleared, the first Pokémon he noticed was Houndour, standing proudly in the middle of the field. _'That explosion did nothing to him?'_ He wondered for a second, before noticing Gastly over weakly above the ground. Somehow, the explosion had not thrown him out of the field, though only barely.

The Ghost-type slowly descended to face the Houndour, and Raziel noticed once more how weird it was that Houndour had not a single damage. In fact, he was almost bursting with energy, flames erupting from his mouth from time to time. "Can you do it Gastly?" He asked, turning his attention back to his starter. The Ghost nodded, though Raziel could see his fatigue. He was on his last leg, metaphorically at least. "Go for Night Shade. I don't know how much that hurts him, but Lick is not working. Don't try with Confuse Ray, it takes you too long to charge. And if you can, try to go for a ring out."

Gastly nodded, then moved forward. The two Pokémon carefully studied each other, slowly circling, the flames in Houndour's mouth matching the ones in Gastly's body. _'He got burned, but is trying to act strong.'_ Raziel realized feeling guilty. Maybe he should have just recalled him. _'No, Gastly said he can continue, I will trust his judgment.'_

Then it happened all at once. Both Pokémon launched themselves on the offensive. The Night Shade hit first, then came the Ember. Gastly shouted and narrowly dodged it, rotating before unleashing another Night Shade. This time though Houndour dodged, the shadow hitting harmlessly the ground. _'He dodged.' _Raziel realized. So far the Houndour had never avoided a hit, rather focusing on preparing the ground for their grand strategy or attacking.

"We can do this Gastly, keep going!"

After being a Rocket Lieutenant for years, there were only a few things that could surprise Frant. The kid that had found out about their base first had been one such thing. And now, this Gastly. By all means, it should have already been down. Not burned to ashes – he had made sure to not use too much Smog – but certainly defeated. Instead, he had to watch it attack with Night Shade once more, Houndour narrowly dodging.

'_Houndour had to take a lot of hits to set up the Smog bomb. He mostly makes up for it with Flash Fire, using his guts to keep himself going, but if he gets it again once or twice we are done.'_ The Lieutenant thought with a careful calculation. He had to admit, Gastly had managed to throw a wrench in his plan. Yet, there was no reason to panic. With a shout, he gave the order, and Houndour jumped forward. His Bite crashed in the surprised Ghost's body, and the gaseous Pokémon began to fall.

And then it launched another Night Shade. To Frant's surprise, he was wrong once more. The Gastly held up, and the one that fell, defeated, was Houndour.

The spectators exploded in applause, as the referee declared Raziel the victor over him. In all this, however, Frant could only stare at the Ghost. Why hadn't it fallen. Twice he had expected it to crash to the ground, and twice it had held up.

He recalled Houndour and walked forward. Almost mechanically he extended his hand to Raziel, observing the Trainer closely. He would have called him just an unremarkable Trainer with no fashion sense if he had to give a quick judgement. His battle style was a repetitive use of the same two moves, with only a hint of something more from time to time. And yet, he had lost against him and his Gastly.

He walked off, leaving the arena. He had no interest in the award ceremony. He had seen and tested all he needed, now it was time to start planning. He took out the phone.

"Crimson Arbok, it's me." He said.

Kyoku responded immediately "Orange Raichu? What is it?"

"Get the other two ready to follow Draconix. Brief them on the information I am sending you and tell them I will kill them if they fail this one."

"So you are taking the one called Raziel?"

"Yes. I have to see where this goes." He replied.

Giuls applauded as Norman entered the arena, now repaired thanks to the hard work of a few Machoke. After Raziel's victory, the tournaments had moved up. The second tier, for people with four to six badges, had only a few participants. Her, Leaf, Draconix and Raziel had watched the matches together, although the latter two had spent most of the time discussing their respective fight. She heard Raziel comment something about 'changing the bet next time', but she couldn't figure out what he meant.

Then the tournament for seven or more badge Trainers came up, the one she was actually waiting for. As she expected, Norman was there.

"That's him right?" Leaf asked.

"Yeah, a future Gym Leader apparently." She replied.

"I can see that. Though it's weird he revealed to you he is one. I think they are supposed to be a secret until an official announcement is made."

"He said that he won't tell me where it is that he will be one, only that I can guess the type."

And when the tournament begun, she immediately could. Although, while she called it tournament, it was more like a one sided victory. Norman's choice in the first two rounds was an Ursaring. The Pokémon from Johto was ferocious, and both the Pidgeot and the Rapidash that challenged him where quickly finished. The Ursaring hit like a truck, and the two Pokémon capitulated without much of a challenge.

The final match from Norman saw an even more unusual sight than Ursaring: a large primate Pokémon, with a belly that could make a Snorlax jealous and short white hair around his bald face. The Slaking faced the opposing Clefable with almost disinterest, and Giuls could clearly see why. After a few moments of taking blows like they didn't matter, it hit with an attack she did not recognize, a wild rain of punches and kicks, and Clefable was immediately sent flying off.

"Not even a chance…" She found herself saying out loud.

Next to her, Leaf could only agree "Yeah, that was a slaughter, that's… that's a really strong trainer, almost to the point of being scary. I guess that's what a serious Gym Leader candidate looks like." She turned to look at her with a smile "Well, this motivates us to get stronger, doesn't it?"

Giuls nodded, looking at Norman. She felt only admiration for him. She wanted to be that strong after all.

Giovanni carefully considered the news. "So you believe the operation is worth continuing."

The red haired woman nodded "Yes, Boss. We believe we have figured what is hindering us in our operation. We are taking steps to solve the issue."

Giovanni nodded, thoughtful "Why is it taking so long to clear the area?"

"Well, the merchandise has moved into hiding. And there is also the dangerous one we discussed. I believe my proposal works though."

Giovanni sighed "A single enemy seems hardly worth the effort this will take, but you are lucky Ariana, I need to test the factory's security anyway. And there is always some morbid curiosity in obtaining something money can't buy. Leave a written request to Matori, she will take care of it."

Ariana nodded again "There is also another mission planned, but I'd need more details for…"

"Not necessary. I will personally brief the men you assign to the task." He could see Ariana's gaze studying him. Of all his followers, she was one of the few that didn't seem to just blindly idolize him. However, after a moment she simply nodded a third time. Giovanni and her discussed a few more minor missions, then she left the room and he sighed.

'_For now, I need to not do any dangerous move. No need to rush something. But once I have M2…'_ And with that happy thought he returned to work.


	34. Chapter 33: Southbound

Blue observed his phone with a surprised look. It showed a picture sent from Draconix phone, showing Raziel holding a medal celebrating him as the winner of the Nugget Bridge Tournament. _'I would have thought Giuls or Draconix would get it, not Raziel.'_ He thought while walking. _'Well, good for him I suppose. First Team Rocket now this, they are really going all out.'_

Due to his unfortunate meeting with Team Rocket, Blue hadn't even considered participating, instead leaving the city as soon as possible. His next question had been whether he should have challenged Saffron or kept it for later and go for Vermillion. His final decision had been to make up his mind once he was in Saffron.

He had then walked south from Cerulean. Route 5 was a shorter, well repaired route with many forests surrounding it, only taking two days to most Trainers to go through it. However, Blue had different plans. He had been going fast so far, counting on his Pokémon to train by simply defeating what blocked his path. The little detours he had taken had not impacted his travel speed at all. But now it was time to slow down. He had already beaten two Gyms, but taking the third was going to be tougher. Especially because Saffron was the real deal: Psychic was a strong type and he was going to have a three on three fight against it.

For that reason, he needed his Pokémon to train hard. If they weren't hardened enough, there was no way they could take the Psychic attacks of Cosmo, the Gym Leader that had succeeded Sabrina. With that in mind, he had set hard on training. For the last six day, him and the team had been fighting both other trainers and wild Pokémon, to get ready for the bout. His face covered in sweat, he entered the Pokémon Daycare.

The Kanto Daycare was an old institution to allow Pokémon to train independently. It was supposed to help young trainers that had made the mistake of thinking quantity made quality, and now needed an extra hand to get their team up to speed. Some breeders and trainers would help with that. To Blue, that didn't matter, but the Daycare also doubled as a Trainer House. He sat down at the table, surrounded by both other trainers at different seats and a surprising number of various Pokémon, and allowed his team to get out as he checked the Pokédex and planned his next move.

Abra and Wartortle both came out of the Poké Ball immediately, sitting down on the couch. Pidgeotto perched himself on the back of the seat, while Rattata curled himself down next to Blue. The Trainer patted him gently before considering his next move. _'We are almost there. They should both be evolving soon, if I am right. With a Kadabra and a Raticate, and Pidgeotto or Wartortle depending on the match up, I should manage to get a win against Cosmo. He usually uses Exeggutor as a main choice for Gym Leader matches and the like, so I should manage with…'_

His thought process was interrupted by a sudden murmuring from the crowd. He looked up from the Dex to notice a group of trainers talking nearby.

"Oh, my Zapdos, really?" One said, a young girl.

"Yeah, it's the tenth this week. It's starting to get problematic. Team Rocket might be behind this."

His attention now was fully caught. He noticed Abra turn as well, something quite exceptional from the sleepy Pokémon. "Excuse me" He said, deciding to not just eavesdrop "Did you say Team Rocket?"

The one that seemed more well informed, a man around his same age, maybe just a year or two older, nodded. "Yes, you haven't heard anything about the night thief?"

"Night thief?"

"Someone is stealing Pokémon from the Trainers that leave the daycare at night. He comes from behind, hits them in the head and while they are down defeats their Pokémon and takes them, Ball and all." He shivered "I can't imagine that happening to me and Meowth."

Blue thought for a moment "But why isn't anyone doing anything about this? I am sure they would send some police officer to intervene, wouldn't they?"

"Well, they did, but the Officers patrol can't be everywhere. While they were guarding the Daycare, there were thefts up and down the route, and when they moved to patrol the route the thief immediately moved back to attacking the people near the daycare." He shook his head "Can you believe some people would stoop so low?"

"Absolutely…" Blue said "Thank you for the information."

"No problem. But try to spread the news, a lot of Trainers don't check the news apparently."

Blue nodded, but he was already deep in thought.

"_Please tell me he isn't thinking what I am thinking…"_ Pidgeotto said, looking concerned at the trainer.

"_Oh, he is thinking exactly that."_ Abra replied, with a grin.

"_He wants to hunt the thief down, doesn't he?" _Wartortle asked. Abra nodded _"Arceusdammit, why is my trainer such a fool?"_

"_What are you talking about, it's awesome!"_ Rattata complained, grinning. Abra nodded at that, showing his support for the idea.

"_Oh yeah, awesome, until you remember the last time he tried he got beaten up and sent to the hospital, and what we got for it was just saving some of his belonging and almost getting stolen. That was ten days ago!"_ Pidgeotto shouted, attracting a few looks from nearby Pokémon and humans. It was a testament to Blue's focus that he didn't even turn to look at the Pokémon.

"_And back then we weren't in the team." _Rattata replied _"I was an enemy, sorta, he was a wild Pokémon, and he was a Squirtle. Give us some credit, we got better since. The team is bigger, we are stronger, he evolved."_

"_Except, we don't even know what the situation is! We are talking about someone that can easily beat trained Pokémon and elude the police!" _Wartortle complained.

"_Beat and kidnap! We can't just sit around and wait! There are Pokémon in danger here!"_ Abra replied, and Rattata nodded fiercely.

"_And what can WE do? If it's really Team Rocket, which sounds right, isn't it possible they have already been sent away? No one knows what the Rocket do with the Pokémon they steal, but clearly they are good at taking them away." _Pidgeotto noted, with a serious tone.

"_Well, we should…"_

The discussion was interrupted by a deep sigh from their trainer. All four looked at him and noticed him mumbling. They could hear him say "The right thing or the smart thing?" He looked at them "We got stronger since last time, but is it right for me to risk you all on this?"

Abra raised his thumb, and Rattata nodded immediately after. Surprised, Blue looked at Pidgeotto and Wartortle. They both looked at him with uncertainty. After a moment, Wartortle hesitantly nodded _"Fine, let's do this. But if we lose, it's your fault."_

Wartortle seemed the most uncertain. He looked at Blue, at Wartortle, and then at Rattata and Abra. Clearly realizing no one was going to say anything, he just threw his wings in the air _"Fine! Fine! Let's do the incredibly honorable and stupid thing, why don't we?! What could go wrong?"_ He looked at Blue once more and nodded.

Blue smiled. Pidgeotto could not help but smile too. Stupid as the idea was, he was proud of his trainer for going ahead with it.

Darken was traveling south on Route 17, the Bike Road: an artificial bridge that was the pride of Kanto, a vast construction built atop small, barren islands, forming a land bridge to connect Celadon to Fuchsia directly. Some called it the modern version of the wooden bridges built on the coast on the west to connect various islands and promontories, but the size of this project was far vaster: Route 17 was one of the longest in Kanto, and large enough to allow hundreds of people on bikes to go up and down the road.

It could take up to a week to go from Celadon to Fuchsia on it, but it was a safe, fast road that saved Trainers many days. And it was on this very road that Darken had run into a problem.

The biker band was blocking it completely, and two of them stopped him as he got closer. They were both atop large motorcycles that he was pretty sure were not allowed on the Route, but both of them clearly did not care. "How can I help?" He asked, trying to not look too nervous.

"Going back." The guy to his left, a tall, thin man with a dark mohawk, said with a smile. Darken was disgusted noticing many rotting teeth "This Route is now property of the boss and the Giratina's Chosens. He says little Trainers like you should either leave or pay the price."

"Ah, so I can just pay to go through. What do you want?" Darken said, puzzled. The two looked at each other, then laughed.

"Well, we will just take your bike, your Pokémon and anything of value you have." The second one, a tall, bald man replied when he stopped laughing "Leave, or we will take care of you."

The younger trainer nodded, turning around and trying to figure out what to do. He trailed back to the closer Trainer House, and entering he could easily read the room: everyone was about as angry as he was for the situation.

Most of the trainers were either brooding in a corner, trying to think of what to do, or loudly discussing the matter around a central table. He had no doubt which group he wanted to be in.

"We can't just let them do shit like this!" A girl shouted, her Jigglypuff imitating her stern expression.

"Yeah, it's ridiculous! Where is the police?" A boy added, with a Machoke showing the same angered look.

"We already called, but they say it's a very large group and dealing with them is going to get complicated. They are trying to get the League, but there is a procedure for stuff like this. It will take days for the Gym Leaders or an Elite Four to clear their schedule and come deal with them." A taller man in a uniform that Darken recognized as that of the Trainer House employees, with a Poké Ball on a white sleeveless shirt, said "Please understand we wish the best to all Trainers. But for now what we can suggest is going back the other way or wait."

"Why don't we fight instead?" Someone else asked. Everyone looked at the short, black haired girl that had raised the question.

"I wouldn't suggest that. The Giratina's Chosens show up once or twice a year, beat up anyone that tries to evict them by himself, and then scrambles once the Gym Leaders or an Elite Four show up. Really, I would suggest just waiting or taking the longer way. I am really sorry."

The black-haired girl scoffed "Come on! We are all Trainers, many of us already quite skilled. If we work together, we can send them away!" She shouted, "A girl my age managed to fight off Team Rocket, are we seriously going to cower in fear against a group of stupid bikers?"

Darken thought of the articles he had read. Sure, a girl had lead the fight against Team Rocket, along with two other trainers, but it had taken the entire Trainer House. So…

"I don't think it's a good idea." He said, "If everyone here was willing to, then maybe, but otherwise, we would be taken out."

"That's what I am saying! We should band together and fight them off together!"

"Yeah, we should. But a lot of people here won't." He said "Not everyone wants to risk their Pokémon without a reason."

"So you would just sit here and wait?" She asked.

"I am just saying, it's not a good idea to take them on if they are good enough to require the attention of the Gym Leaders and even the Elite Four. Janine, Erika or one of the others are sure to arrive eventually, we should wait."

"I say we shouldn't." Another boy said, next to him. He turned around "The girl is right. Is just a band of bikers. We can take them on by ourselves."

The black-haired girl beamed "Yes, that's what I am saying. We go, fight them, and…"

"And lose!" Darken commented "Or anyone here is on the level of a Gym Leader going at full strength?"

There was a lot of grumbling, and Darken could see rapidly that the people in the room were splitting. About half of them were ready to follow the girl, while the other agreed with him on waiting out the issue.

"Fine, we are going." She said with a smile "When we win, you'll know who to thank."

"I repeat, it's a terrible idea." Darken said. But her group was already leaving. He could not help but wonder why she felt so confident.


	35. Chapter 34: Lying and Stealing

LYING AND STEALING

Blue smiled, calling back Wartortle and walking toward the Daycare. He smiled, taking a bottle of water. His day of training had gone rather well, and the trap he had thought about was simple, but was probably going to work.

He looked around a bit and moved to a group of Trainers discussing their training. _'If the thief chooses his preys rather than randomly choosing Trainers, it won't hurt to tell him I am a viable one.'_

He looked at the trainers. Most of them, from what he could hear, were discussing rather normal training tips. Where to go to buy selected Evolution Stones, which of their Pokémon they had evolved recently, and so on. After listening for a while, when the discussion lulled for a moment, he butted in.

"I am going quite well." He said, with most people turning to him, interested in what he was going to say "My Abra is about to evolve, I think."

"Oh, you have an Abra? That's pretty rare." One of the Trainers asked, and Blue nodded.

Most of them looked surprised. _'Of course, Abra is uncommon for a young Trainer, thanks to Team Rocket. Usually if they aren't set on finding one, they could very well never bump into it.'_

"Yup, and is gonna become a Kadabra soon."

"Neat." The closest one, a brown-haired trainer, commented, thinking "If you need any tips, I have one."

"Oh, that would be nice…" Blue replied, nodding.

He spent a while discussing the pros and cons of Teleportation in combat, the viability of Confusion against other Psychic-types, and similar topics. By the end, there was quite the crowd listening, which suited Blue very well. The more people listened at the fact he had a rare Pokémon, the more likely it was for the thief to listen too.

After a while, he excused himself, explaining he planned to get some night training later on, and moved to his room to eat and make the last preparations. After a few hours nap, he moved back outside. Now that it was late at night, it was the time. He touched the four Poké Ball on his belt and nodded. With a calm look, he walked outside.

At night, the road was not completely dark, with lamp posts installed on strategic points along the road, but there were large patches of darkness between one and the other. No officers were in sight, meaning the thief could have very well been right beyond the next lamp post. The trees could have been also a good hiding spot. For now, however, no one was close to him in any direction, so he took the road north.

The night was quite and calm, not a single person around except for him and a couple tent he met on the way. It was weird in his opinion to set up a tent when a Trainer House was not too far, but some people preferred it that way. He wondered why…

And then, as he walked through a darker area, near the tree, he felt something hit him in the back of the head. With a gasp, he fell to the ground.

The so-called Night Thief, a tall man with a Gengar-styled mask, complete with spikes on the back of the head, looked down on his new pray. There was no one around, except for the few tents down the road, all of which were currently dark, meaning they were either empty or their occupants were asleep.

He had kept an eye on the young Trainer the past few days. His Abra and Wartortle were going to be a good prize. As he moved the hand downward to grasp the Poké Ball, something felt wrong. Usually, the moment a trainer fell to the ground, his Pokémon popped out of their Ball to attack him. This time, no one was moving.

'_He couldn't have…'_ He thought, then something attacked him from the side. The Water Gun sent him flying backward against a tree, and what he saw next were the talons of the Pidgeotto uncomfortably close to his face… and the trainer standing up.

"Ouch, that hurt way more than we expected." He said "You couldn't just stop it, could you?" He asked. To the Thief's surprise, from the trees emerged a Kadabra, that shook his head defensively. Blue kept massaging the back of his head "Yeah, I know, I said we had to make it look real, but work on blunting the blow a bit more. I thought I was going to actually faint."

A Rattata then begun chewing his belt, that fell off. With a quick movement, he dragged off the five Poké Ball. The Thief took a deep breath. No reason to get worked up yet, he reasoned as he put his hand in the pocket and pressed a button. "How did you know…"

"That you were going to hunt me? Come on, I didn't hide the fact I have an Abra – well, a Kadabra now – and a Wartortle. Today I even added the extra talk in the main hall. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

The Thief grunted. He did think it was strange, but he had just thought the guy was a socializer. He had already seen him talk with other people unprompted, so the fact he had done it again was not a surprise. "And you even lied about Abra not evolving so I wouldn't think of a Pokémon with proper Psychic powers. Smart, kid, very smart. I can see you doing quite well."

"Spare me the compliments, I'll call the police and get you sent to jail. What did you do with the Pokémon you stole, anyway?"

"Well, that is your first mistake." He said with a grin that he knew made him look even more like a Gengar "Is not the Pokémon I stole; is the Pokémon WE stole."

The surprise on Blue's face, as he turned around to see Kadabra be suddenly attacked by a Raticate, was quite good.

"_Of course there are two Thieves!" _Kadabra shouted, getting back up from the impact of the Quick Attack, as a second individual, a woman with a Haunter mask this time, emerged from the tree. _"This explains why the Thief was so good at evading the police. With more than one person, one can keep an eye on any patrol, and the others can freely maraud around the area."_

"_Very nice, detective, now can you help deal with this?" _Wartortle asked, his Mega Punch landing in thin air as the Raticate jumped sideways to dodge the incoming attack and responded with a Hyper Fang. The following Retreat from Wartortle only reduced the blow a bit, before the Raticate was sent flying backward and impact on a tree by Confusion. Kadabra frowned. His new offensive move was good, but he was still not used on aiming his powers to other creatures beyond himself. _"Thanks." _Wartortle said, gasping and glaring at the masked woman, who was advancing toward Blue.

"You are quite good kid." She said with a smile. "Just bad luck that there are no officers on the road tonight, so we weren't that much apart. Pity though, I was keeping my eyes on a prey of my own." She opened another Poké Ball, and an Arbok quickly launched himself against Rattata. The Pokémon did not retreat, rather responding with Quick Attack, but the Poison-type simply took the blow and launched the Pokémon away with a nasty bite. "Now, that was very nice, I'll give you that, but time is up. You give us your Pokémon, and we…"

Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by something that surprised even Kadabra. Blue lunged forward and hit her in the belly with an headbutt. "I am done with people like you!" He shouted, as she stumbled back "I am done with people that think taking my Pokémon is a viable way to deal with the fact they are shit at training! Got that? I am not giving a single one of my Pokémon to you. I don't care if you are Team Rocket or just two idiots that think they have found the job of their life, you are not taking them. Kadabra, Confusion on Arbok!"

The Pokémon nodded and immediately turned around, launching the Arbok upward in the sky and then dragging him on the grass until it impacted on the tree. _'So, Poison-type really are very susceptible to my attacks.'_ He thought with a grin.

The Female thief had been gasping for air for a while, glaring daggers at Blue "You little brat! I was going nice on you, but…" She opened two more Poké Ball. A Haunter and a Vileplume emerged… and the former was promptly launched away by Kadabra, to both her and her trainer's surprise.

"I am with you here." The other Night Thief said, standing up. With surprise, Kadabra realized Arbok had managed to launch Rattata his way… With the belt he was carrying. Pidgeotto lunged forward, but the Thief threw him off by throwing Rattata away. To catch the Pokémon before he hurt himself, Pidgeotto was forced to move away, and the man immediately sent out a fat, dark-colored Raticate.

'_Yeah, this is going to be hard…'_ Kadabra thought, keeping his eyes on the Poison-types and the Normal-type. The fat Raticate looked menacing to him. And more importantly, he seemed like a shadow to his Psychic sense. _"Wartortle, can you keep the Gengar and the fat Raticate busy? I can deal with the other three probably."_

"_What about Pidgeotto and Rattata?"_ Wartortle asked. In response, Pidgeotto put down Rattata on the grass and moved near Blue, placing himself next to him.

"_I made a deal with him before. If we got in a fight, he was going to protect Blue. We can trust him with that. As for Rattata, he is fast, but not strong. I am sure he can help in his own way."_

Wartortle nodded and jumped to dodge a Hyper Fang from the weird looking Raticate, to which he retaliated with a Water Gun. Meanwhile, the man with the Gengar Mask sent out an Houndour.

"_Alright, yeah, handle that too, will you?" _Asked Kadabra _"I don't know what's going on with the Raticate, but that one is my natural predator and I am not getting any closer to him."_

Wartortle nodded, and Kadabra turned to his own opponents. He smiled noticing a Water Gun hitting the Haunter to attract his attention, and did his part by sending tumbling off the Vileplume before it could attack Wartortle.

"_This is gonna be tough…"_ He thought.

Rattata was running. He knew he couldn't yet fight on the same level of the others when it came to the offense. So, what he could do was what Team Rocket itself had thought him. He lunged forward with his mouth wide open and bit the masked man's hand. With a scream, he threw away the rat… and the Poké Ball belt he was holding with it. Rattata jumped and caught it midair before carrying it away. By the time the Pokémon inside came out, he was far enough.

"_You are a brave one, kid." _The Murkrow said with a sad look _"So unfortunate you must die here."_

"_Fortunate, I say." _The Umbreon added _"I can assure you I will take great pleasure in ending it."_

"_Yes." _The Houndoom concluded _"But I claim the prey, as the leader of the pack in our commander's absence."_

The other two grunted, but did not respond, rather preparing to dart back to the main fight. Rattata tried to intercept the Umbreon, knowing well trying to stop the Murkrow was useless. He felt the fire of a Flamethrower behind his body, but his Quick Attack managed to land on the Umbreon's flank, sending her roll away. The Flamethrower only scorched the back of his tail, but otherwise he was fine.

Umbreon immediately stood back up and shook her fur, producing a rain of poison. Toxic fired against the Rattata, but he managed to get himself out of fire… and right in the range of a second Flamethrower, that this time hit him squarely, sending him back in a ball of fire.

"_I said, he is my prey."_ Houndoom growled, angrily, _"Something against that?"_

"_He attacked and I defended myself. I deliberately did not damage him more than necessary. Don't ask the impossible."_

Rattata stood back up. He could feel burns all over his body, the result of the hit. _"This is going to be difficult."_ He launched himself forward, impacting the Houndoom in the chest. The Pokémon, surprised, took a few steps back, staggering, before putting his feet back down and roaring forward with a Bite.

'_Yes, target me, focus your attention on me.'_ Rattata thought, turning to jump on Umbreon with a Bite. The enemy shook him off, growling in pain. He glanced back at the ongoing fight. Pidgeotto was taking on the Murkrow and keeping close to Blue, who was shouting orders to the others. He saw Houndour fly off because of Wartortle's Water Gun and lie on the ground, defeated, and smiled. Unfortunately, that was enough for the follow up from Houndour, a Bite, to connect and send him fly off.

"_Go." _He said to Umbreon, but before she could move a Quick Attack hit her on the flank. She managed to use Protect in time, but she still had to stop. Weakened, but still standing, Rattata placed himself in front of the two.

"_Neither of you… are… passing."_ He murmured _"The others will win… And I will help them… By holding you back here."_

"_You are barely standing."_ Umbreon replied _"What are you gonna do? Bore us to death?"_

He smiled, then darted forward again with Quick Attack _"I am the fastest of my team." _He said, impacting on Houndoom, and using his body as a trampoline to jump on Umbreon with a Bite _"You should stop me before saying that."_

Houndoom lunged forward, his Flamethrower scorching the air as it exploded next to him. Rattata rolled away, his burned body screaming in pain. _'Yeah, I can't take this much longer…'_ He thought _'I need to be stronger… To keep them busy here longer…'_

And then he felt it. His body grew in size, the teeth and the claws sharpening. There was light illuminating the night, and then he was standing as a Raticate. Rattata, now Raticate, felt his primordial instincts. He screeched, lunging forward in a mad dash. He could almost feel himself growing lighter, attacking with a Quick Attack that sent Houndoom flying, leaving Umbreon speechless. She still managed to erect a Protect in time, placing a shield between herself and the follow up Tackle. Raticate did not care, landing and attacking again the moment the shield flickered out of existence. He was stronger. His body was burning, heated like a fire, but that heat wasn't hurting him. Instead, he only felt rage. He attacked with Hyper Fang, without even realizing what he was doing, and Umbreon screeched in pain as the fangs hit her.

A Flamethrower hit him, sending him rolling back. Now he was feeling it, but he did not stop, attacking once more. His next Hyper Fang was countered by a Slash, claws and teeth impacting and sending both Pokémon flying back. He rolled on the ground once more, panting. Whatever had happened when he evolved, it was slowing down. He was starting to feel the pain again, it wasn't going to be long before he could not stand. _'I'm… sorry… I couldn't last longer…'_ He thought, as a new Flamethrower flew towards him. He closed his eyes, unable to dodge… and a Water Gun impacted against the fire, dampening if not stopping it. Surprised, Raticate turned, seeing a panting Wartortle, his mouth dripping water. Behind him, he could see the two Pokémon he had defeated to run to him.

"_Good job pal…"_ Wartortle said, panting heavily _"You really have some guts…"_

Raticate smiled, before collapsing to the ground.

"_So I switch a weakling for another?" _Houndoom asked. Wartortle gritted his teeth.

"_Don't you dare. Raticate alone held you back. He is the best teammate we could ask for."_

"_Still lost. That's what matters."_ Houndoom cautiously replied, a savage grin in his eyes.

"_Tell that to her."_ Wartortle said. Houndoom turned, seeing Umbreon lying on the ground, defeated. He roared even more, and Wartortle chuckled _"Come on, you overgrown puppy, let's dance."_

And with that they launched themselves on the offensive.


	36. Chapter 35: Many Questions

MANY QUESTIONS

Blue glared at the Thieves. Despite Wartortle seeming to succeed at dealing with his opponents, the situation was still bad. Murkrow and Pidgeotto were surprisingly evenly matched, when he would have thought the latter to have the advantage. And the Haunter was down, but that did not mean the Arbok and the Vileplume were defeated. The cobra Pokémon was panting, but still going on the offensive against Kadabra. The main cause was the support from Vileplume, who would barge in every time Kadabra left an opening with Mega Drain, healing herself in the process. And the moment Kadabra focused on her, Arbok was ready to jump in with Bite, a move the Pokémon was clearly afraid of. Then there was the Raticate. Wartortle had defeated the one with black fur, but the normal one had managed to stand back up from a Mega Kick to the face and was harassing Kadabra on the side. If he tried to take on the other two, Raticate would instantly jump in. Blue didn't like the odds.

"You two!" He shouted "Four of your Pokémon are down, and the others won't last longer. Just surrender already!" He knew it was hardly likely they would just do it, but as long as they talked with him instead of focusing on ordering their Pokémon around, there was a chance his could come out on top. Rattata's move of taking away the belt had been smart, but he was worried about him. Sure, Wartortle had run to help him, but still, the situation was probably bad over there. He needed to get there and help them.

"You wish! Sure, some of our Pokémon underestimated you, but that's hardly a concern! The Kadabra is almost done, and the others can hardly keep up with our Pokémon."

Blue had to agree. Their Pokémon were clearly stronger than his, at least some of the fully evolved ones. If he had to guess, the others were recent additions to their team. In both power and stamina, they were above his own. _'Why?'_ He realized in that moment. "Why are you doing this? With Pokémon so strong, you could lead an happy life as trainers, taking part in the League and stuff like that. Why even consider a life of crime with the ability you have?" He asked. It was a good question, one that would hopefully keep them busy. He looked at Kadabra and pointed to the Raticate and then Vileplume with a quick movement. The Psychic-type nodded.

The two looked at each other, crucially missing the movement, and laughed. "We have no interest in that. There is a debt we have that needs to be repaid. That person helped us, we will do what he tells us to, even if it's dangerous or illegal. That's how it is." The masked woman said.

In that moment, Raticate bounced on the ground and flew away, thrown by the confusion, right into Vileplume's face. The Grass-type missed a step, and immediately Kadabra switched the target of his mental power from the Rat to the Flower, throwing her up in the sky and then come crashing down. Arbok bit the Kadabra in the arm, and he flinched in pain, before his eyes shone bright and sent the snake flying against another tree. The Pokémon smiled in triumph seeing the Poison-type finally fall, before three green tendrils extended from Vileplume's flower and drained him. Blue recalled him before he touched the ground, but nervously smiled either way. Throwing their teamwork out even for a second had meant both Raticate and Arbok were down for the count.

"Dammit." The woman muttered, before pointing at Vileplume "Fine. Vileplume, put him asleep."

The problem now was Vileplume. Blue looked up at Pidgeotto, busy fighting the Murkrow. Wartortle and Rattata were still gone. Which meant…

"Gust on the Vileplume!" He shouted, and Pidgeotto immediately recoiled from Murkrow's assaults and sent a powerful wind to send Vileplume back, rolling on the ground. It stood back up, wobbly, but Pidgeotto followed up with a Quick Attack, and the flower fell to the ground.

Blue smiled, but before he could count victory, Murkrow attacked. A dark energy surrounded his wings and the Pokémon hit Pidgeotto, the Pursuit sending him falling to the ground.

"You had… that?" He asked, surprised.

"Of course. Did you think we would not keep an ace up our sleeves?" The man asked, with a grin. "Or two." He put his hand in the back of the mask, in one of the spikes. With a grin he took out a Poké Ball. Opening it, he sent out a multicolored Muk, unlike the ones Blue had seen before. The girl scoffed at his act, but did the same with one of the two large spikes of the Haunter mask. A normal Muk came out.

"Well, time is up kid. Good try." The man replied as Murkrow perched himself on his shoulder.

Blue gritted his teeth. No trace of Wartortle and Rattata yet. No one to help. _'What am I supposed to do…'_ He asked himself. _'I have put everyone in danger. What do I do now? What do I do?"_ His mind raced. Pidgeotto stood slowly back up, but it wasn't going to be enough against the two Muk. _'What do I do…'_

Then came the quiet, slow voice, almost a muttering he could have easily missed. "Thunderbolt."

A shining tower of light fell from the sky, hitting straight the closest Muk. But Blue focused on those words. It was a voice Blue knew far too well.

"Hi Red, long time no see." He managed to say hiding his surprise, with just a little hint of how scared he had been, turning to see a shorter trainer with black hair and a Pikachu in tow. That was where the Thunderbolt had come from.

The raven-haired trainer smiled, but said nothing, as was usual for him. Most of the time, Red was an odd person. One of the best trainers of Pallet, Blue had actually expected to face him in the finals. Had he not lost against Draconix, maybe he would have been the one to get to the final.

"Well, I am glad to see you. I really needed some help. What do you have?" He asked, showing a smug grin. He wasn't going to admit he had been on the verge of giving up a moment ago. Especially to himself.

Red touched his belt. A golden-colored Charmeleon and a Wartortle jumped out, placing themselves firmly in front of the thieves. Pidgeotto used their surprise to get out of reach again.

"I see you are going for style. What about Ivysaur?" Blue asked. Red grinned and pointed to the Grass-type, barely visible in the dark as it ran forward to the point where they could see flames. "You did notice those?" The brown-haired trainer asked, but the other one simply nodded. "You really need to work on your communications skills. Anyway" He turned to the others "Looks like the tables have turned. What are you gonna do?" He asked, putting on a smug grin"Surrender is still an option."

Wartortle bent under the black flame, his tail smelling of burnt fur as he run forward on all four. Right in front of Houndoom he stood his ground and punched up with a Mega Punch. The canine's jaw got hit cleanly, and the Pokémon flew back. With a fast movement, however, he did not stop his flame, rather redirecting it to hit Wartortle. The Pokémon felt a burning sensation and twitched in pain.

"_Toxic in a Flamethrower… That's some nasty stuff."_ He muttered, feeling his body weakening.

"_About as nasty as your Mega Punches."_ Houndoom admitted, standing up weakly. Both Pokémon knew the next attack was decisive as they darted forward.

And then out of nowhere a rain of shining rocks sent Houndoom flying backwards and falling to the ground, defeated. Wartortle looked at him as he stopped running, confused. His confusion only grew as an Ivysaur slowly walked on the scene. _"Sup."_ He said _"All done? If so, let's go, the others need us."_

"_What…"_

"_Ancient Power."_

"… _How the Distortion World do you know Ancient Power?"_

"_Always did."_

Wartortle's expression was now turning from confused to puzzled _"… That's all?"_

"_Yep."_ He replied, _"Now get moving, your trainer is waiting."_ And saying so, he started running back to the others.

"_I have so many questions."_ Wartortle muttered, before grabbing Raticate on his back and starting to run.

"_I have so many questions." _Pidgeotto said. He was… confused.

His confusion had started when the Wartortle had pointed a finger gun at the multicolored Muk. At first, he had expected some sort of water move to come out of the Water-type's hand. Then, she had smiled and there had been a static discharge, as a Zap Cannon sent the Muk flying backwards several feet.

"_Showoff…"_ The Charmeleon said, before his golden maw closed around the Murkrow in a powerful Crunch. Something that had only furthered his confusion, as he had never seen a Charmeleon doing that in his years of life on Road 1. Apparently it worked quite well, as the Murkrow fell defeated.

"_Yeah well, what's the point of being able to do this if we don't show it around?"_ She asked with a nasty grin. Charmeleon shook his head, and Pikachu walked forward smiling.

"_For once, I have to agree with her. This is so damn fun."_ He said in a tone of voice that was far too low for the Pokémon speaking. He slammed his hands together and began twirling, surrounded by a tornado of petals. In an almost elegant execution, he spun around the remaining Muk, hitting multiple times while evading the incoming Poison Jabs with bows and pirouettes.

"Red." Pidgeotto heard his trainer say, "You are officially the weirdest trainer I know, and I know a punk emo-looking Ghost trainer and a sleep screaming dragon lover." The only response from the other trainer was a quiet chuckle.

After a while, with Murkrow defeated on the ground and the far off Muk facing what looked to be… _"Ancient Power rocks from an Ivysaur WHAT THE F…"_ Pikachu stopped spinning, clearly looking dizzy, and raised his hand.

"_Tag in." _He said panting before taking a Poison Jab and rolling backward. He stood back up, wobbly, and Red moved to him to pick him up, while Squirtle smiled.

"_Zappy zap."_ She simply said in a cheerful tone, pointing the finger. The following Zap Cannon sent Muk roaring off in the sky, before he landed… right in front of Charmeleon, that opened his mouth. For a second, Pidgeotto found himself wondering if an Ice Beam was going to come out of his jaws, and sighed in relief seeing a normal Flamethrower. _"Honestly I am not even going to question how he knows that. It honestly feels so minor." _His thoughts were stopped by Wartortle, walking to him and Blue with a Raticate on his back.

"_Wait, is that Rattata?" _He asked surprised.

"_Yes, seems he put his all in that fight. Managed to take down an Umbreon and weaken an Houndoom by the time I made it there. Honestly, even with those guys, I think we would have been in a worse spot without him."_

Pidgeotto shuddered. If they had been beaten even a minute before, who knows if Red would have arrived to save them in time. More likely, he would have just found a crushed Blue. The bird Pokémon looked down at his trainer, and sighed, seeing his look of amazement, confusion and… disappointment. He gently pecked him to point him at Wartortle and Raticate, and saw his expression change in just pride.

"Good job Rattata… Well, Raticate." He said, recalling him in a Poké Ball, to then look up at the Turtle Pokémon "And you too Wartortle." Then he looked at him better "Are you… ok?" The Pokémon flinched in pain, but nodded. That worried both Pidgeotto and Blue, that took out Wartortle's Poké Ball "Better get you to a Pokémon Center later. For now, take a nap." The Water-type nodded before entering the Ball with a last nod to Pidgeotto, that nodded back.

"_Everything will be fine."_

'_I have so many questions.'_ The male Night Thief thought. The main one was, of course, what was going on. The heist had been put in jeopardy at first, but once his sister had made it there, he should have been set. Take the Kadabra and the Wartortle, maybe the other two for good measures, and get out of there. Instead, first the kid's Pokémon prove tough enough, and now… This.

He looked at his Muk, the multicolored pile of fluid taking an Ancient Power and hitting with Poison Jab. If there was a good thing in all this, was that at least it didn't change the fact that Muk was capable of taking those attacks. "What do we do?" He asked.

She thought for a moment, then shook her head "Call back your Pokémon. This has gone on for too long. If we wait much longer the kid will not be the only one to arrive."

He nodded "Fine. Can you handle it a moment? My belt is still over there." He said.

"Quick. I don't know how long we can handle it." She said, as her Muk hit Wartortle sending her flying. He could have sworn she was chuckling and cheering as she flew in the air and landed, before running. He passed over Muk, that instantly placed himself to block a Vine Whip from the Ivysaur, probably aimed at him, and reached the point where the Rattata had run to. Umbreon and Houndoom were both on the ground. He shook his head. Seeing them both to the ground like this was almost unbelievable. He picked up his belt and quickly recalled both, before running again, this time the other way. As he passed by Muk, the Pokémon started to follow him, blocking a second attempt of a Vine Whip. He smiled. The Pokémon from Alola had costed him a lot, but Muk was really paying back the effort. He reached his companion, noticing she was clearly worried.

"Ready?" She whispered.

"Ready. He said, preparing Muk's ball.

"Now!" She pressed the left spike on the Haunter's mask, and the mask burst open as an Abra emerged from the broken mask along with her long, blonde hair. The Pokémon immediately grabbed both of them by the arm, and they recalled the Muk a moment before the Teleport activated. He barely heard the kids begin to shout something, and he noticed a Vine almost catching his leg, before they all Teleported.

His last action was glaring at the two. "I'll remember your face." He murmured as he appeared in an abandoned building in Saffron, their base. He kicked a can on the floor in frustration, scaring off the Pidgey that was sitting on the window's sill.

"Getting angry will not help. That was a mess. Be glad we got to take back all our Pokémon. There was a good chance you were going to lose them all."

"Oh come on, don't tell me you are not angry about this, please! This is one of our stupidest failures."

"It is, it is." She said, with a smile.

"What's the smile for?" He asked, puzzled.

"I was thinking, we saw something very interesting today. Have you noticed the Pokémon of the black-haired kid?"

"Oh no, I missed the electricity-shooting Wartortle and… Oh, I get it now."

"Good. Now let me make a call. I think the Night Thieves are retiring. We are moving to some rather different assignment." She said, "And get off that stupid mask."

He nodded, removing it and freeing his brown hair. "Good to know. Also inform them I am sending back Houndour. I have a better idea for my next team member."

She nodded, throwing aside the mask remains, and he shook his head. His partner was a resourceful girl. So long as they were together, he trusted they would do it.

Blue cursed angrily many times. He cursed his bad luck, cursed the fact those two had managed to escape, cursed the fact he had been too weak to stop them. After a while, he sighed and sat down, looking up at a surprised Red. When he was sure he had calmed down enough to avoid crying or shouting, he stood back up.

"So. What are you doing here?" He asked. Red simply pointed at his Pokémon. "Night training, uh?" Red nodded, and he chuckled "Good for you. I guess…" Usually, Blue would have made some remark on his strength, but what Red had shown him was far too bizarre to allow him that. "I guess it's really working." Red nodded again, and Blue sighed. _'Yeah, this more or less sums up our relation.'_

He looked at Pidgeotto. His only Pokémon still feat for battling, and barely, was battered and bruised, with many ruffled or missing feathers. In contrast, Red's team, while some where shaky, looked fine.

'_We need to get stronger.'_ He thought bitterly. This journey was not proving to be what he had hoped it would be.


	37. Chapter 36: A raid gone wrong

Darken watched the large hall of the Trainer House. The defeated look in everyone's eyes was still there from the day before. Especially in those that had tried to challenge Giratina's Chosens, and had lost some or all Pokémon as a result.

Some were crying. A guy probably a year older than him in a corner, a girl his same age in another. Of course, losing your Pokémon and getting beaten up was going to do that. He was surprised there wasn't more sobbing in the room. Instead, most people seemed resigned. The black haired girl that had started it all was among them, with a similar expression. She had prudently sat away from the other, but that did not save her from the glaring.

He walked to leave, but when he passed close to her, she grabbed him by the wrist. "Please, sit down." She said "I… need to talk to someone."

Darken looked at her "And why me?"

"Because you were the one that told me I was being stupid, and I made the mistake of not listening. Please."

Darken sighed, then sat down. Is not like he had many choices anyway. "So, what's your name? I keep thinking of you as 'that black-haired girl', it would be useful to have something else."

She nodded "I am Reah. Reah Namba."

"A relation to…"

"Yes. I don't like to talk about him, sorry." She quickly said.

"Sorry." He said. He knew the famous genius Richard Namba had disappeared a few years before. Rumor was he had gone into hiding after some criminal activity had come to light. Other rumors said he had been killed by an angry client. No surprise she didn't like the connection. "So, what happened yesterday exactly? You walked out of the Trainer House and rushed the Giratina's Chosens with everyone here?"

"I first tried to parlay. You know, the usual 'We have more Pokémon then you, you should just leave.'"

"Not a surprise that didn't work, but I doubt you thought so."

"No, I just wanted to give them the choice. To be the better person, you know?"

He nodded "And then?"

"Well, we attacked. We had figured out a strategy: everyone with Flying Pokémon sent them out to attack from above while on the ground we dealt with the bulk of them. Water-types were sent in the water to cover from the sides." She shook her head "In the end, we might as well just have charged in mindlessly for the good that planning did."

"Sounds about right. What went wrong?"

"They were stronger." Reah replied, shedding some tears "They… well, not everyone, but when their stronger fighters showed up, they defeated us all."

"What did they have?"

"Mostly Fighting and Poison-type. A few others." She replied.

"How many were they?"

"… Six, if you mean the strong guys that beat us down. Fifty or so in total." Now she looked puzzled "Why do you keep asking?"

Darken shook his head "Nothing, I was just… Nah, ignore it. We will just wait for the League. It shouldn't take much longer."

Reah slumped on the seat "I messed up so badly… I thought if those guys in Mount Moon won against Team Rocket, we could have won against a biker gang."

The young man understood. He knew why she had thought it was a good idea. The story of young trainers banding together to defeat the Rockets had resonated a lot around the region. "It wasn't a bad idea. You were just unlucky."

She nodded "Is just… My grandfather shamed the family. Everyone knows what he was doing, and I wanted to rise the family name. Great job at that."

"Did you lose your Pokémon?" He asked bluntly.

She nodded "All of them except Seaking. He was in the water when we run away, and managed to avoid capture." Reah started crying again, sobbing loudly "Meowth and Beedrill were defeated first, and then Machop covered for my escape." She started pulling her long hair, sobbing even more "I failed all of them, and for what?!"

Darken didn't know what to say. Or to do. He had only been able to ask questions, and didn't know where to go from there. _'What am I supposed to do? Charge in the Chosens' camp like a hero in shining armor and beat them all? I am not an Elite Four, much less a Gym Leader, I am a guy with too many Pokémon and two Badges.'_ He looked at the girl in front of him, still crying and crying. After a moment, he clenched his fist _'Arceus dammit.'_ He looked at her "I'll go do a thing or two. Stay here."

She looked at him, confused, but he ignored her. Instead, he moved straight for the PC.

"Right, let's see…" He thought, choosing his team.

The road south was silent and empty. Even the Wild Pokémon that would have usually been hanging around on the road, waiting for challengers, were gone. Either the Chosens' had caught them, or they had escaped from the music that was going at full volume. Tuffball flinched listening to it. Whoever was the singer, he was absolutely messing up the song. _'That's not what Money talks should sound like. At all.'_ She thought, flinching again as the singer hit another false note. What was worse was another sound, coming from somewhere closer. She couldn't figure out what it was, but it was annoying.

"_Please, focus on the job." _She heard a voice in her head say. The Kadabra, Yun, was not a talkative guy. She was pretty sure Darken had brought him to have an escape.

'_Which brings us to the horrible idea this is.'_ She thought. She wasn't even sure what Darken's plan was, exactly. He had just told them it was going to be dangerous. _'What is he even thinking?'_

All Darken had said had been to stick to him and trust him. He looked incredibly nervous, which in turn was making the Jigglypuff nervous too. However, they finally reached the outskirt of the biker's camp, a mish mash of motorcycles and tents. Why a human would choose to live like this when they had cities was beyond her understanding.

"Stop right there, kid." The guard said. He was a tall man with a mohawk "Didn't we already teach a lesson to you and your friends the other day? Or did you not take part in their stupid attack?" He pointed to Tuffball "If you think she can do any better, you should think again."

Tuffball looked up to Darken, who took a deep breath and… bowed his head "Please, I'd like to talk with your boss."

The guard looked at him surprised, but that was nothing compared to Tuffball's look. _'Yeah ok, he has gone insane. Yup. Either that or the girl made all the blood escape his brain for other regions.'_

"_You could trust our trainer a bit more."_

'_What, you know the plan?'_

"_Some of it. But I can't tell you, we don't know if they have other Psychic-types. Just trust me."_

Tuffball sighed, as the guy with the mohawk finally talked "What do you want from the boss."

"I want to talk about you leaving."

"That's not happening."

Darken shook his head "Listen, I have a few things he might want to know. I am sure we can come to an understanding before then."

The biker looked at him, then called. A second, taller man walked to them. He was a giant of a man, with black air that reached his neck and a short beard of the same color, wearing a ruined leather jacket. "What is it?" He asked.

"I'm sorry Reese, but the kid wants to speak with the boss." The man said.

"That so?" He had to bend down to look at Darken in the eyes "You are quite brave or quite stupid. Which is it?" He asked. Darken did not respond, though Tuffball could hear his heartbeat grow faster. The man chuckled "Fine, I like gutsy kid. Hear me out, you beat one of my Pokémon with one of yours, and I let you in."

Darken nodded, and opened a Poké Ball. Jake bursted out, the Hitmonchan shadowboxing to intimidate the opponent. Little success there. "Nice Pokémon." The man said, "Unfortunate choice though." He said, sending out an Arbok.

"We'll see." Darken finally responded, taking a few steps back, followed by Tuffball, to give the Pokémon space.

"Are you sure this is a good idea Reese?" The thin guy asked.

Tuffball clearly heard the man's response "I beat him and we steal his Pokémon for daring to challenge me. Is that hard to figure out?" She looked at Darken, but he was focused on the fight to come.

'_What are you thinking?'_ She wondered.

Jake slowly moved around the Arbok, keeping up his peekaboo stance. The female Arbok in turn kept her eyes on him. Both Pokémon studied each other, a long wait to see who would jump in first.

Then, almost as if they had prepared this, both Pokémon jumped on the offensive. The snake's maw open, he launched forward, to be met by a Mach Punch. The attack impacted with the Bite, the teeth trying and failing to pierce the Pokémon's natural gloves. Both Pokémon stared at each other a moment, before Jake pulled back his free fist, who crackled with electricity. The ElectricPunch impacted with the echo of a thunder, and sent the snake flying back. He ducked in time to dodge a purple spit, likely some kind of poison, and charged forward. Changing his stance in a southpaw, he stepped ahead and launched a barrage of punches with his left. The Comet Punch hit several times, before the snake retaliated before an Acid put him off balance.

Arbok did not miss the opportunity, and moved forward with another Bite. The attack impacted against a Mach Punch Jake hurriedly threw. The Hitmonchan smiled, and moved back his right fist. The Fire Punch uppercut launched the snake upwards with a long hiss, but as it came down she turned on herself and impacted with the full blunt of her tail on Jake's face, sending him fly backward with her Slam. As the Pokémon took himself up, she opened her maw. A Sludge Bomb flew in his direction.

"You can't dodge!" Darken shouted, and the Hitmonchan nodded, preparing himself. _'This is not going to smell nice.'_

The incoming Sludge Bomb impacted with his Fire Punch, and the ball of poison started to burn. While the fire was hot enough to evaporate a good chunk of it, Jake had to both breath the gasses and get hit by the remaining liquid. He coughed and charged forward, quickly blinking to clean his eyes from the tears caused by the gas.

In response, like before, the snake charged forward with Bite. Jake smiled and charged his hook again, mimicking the movement of his Mach Punches before. As he expected, Arbok changed course to block the blow… and bit directly on a Fire Punch. _"Sorry, I am not a one trick boxer."_ He said, and charged his left. The barrage of Comet Punches sent Arbok backward, and the snake fell to the ground defeated.

Jake stopped with a deep sigh and nodded to his trainer. The large biker called Reese called back the Arbok, and for a moment stood there. Despite feeling poison coursing through his body, Jake prepared himself to fight more in case the man got angry for the defeat.

Instead, the man just laughed. "You have guts kid, you really do." He called back the Arbok, and gestured Darken to move closer "Get moving, I'll get you to the boss."

Jake sighed in relief, and Darken launched him a Pecha Berry, that he immediately gorged up before following him and Tuffball. The large tent camp the bikers had built looked even messier on the inside, the tents hastily constructed without any order. Some men were face down in the dirt, drunk, while some tent smelled foul. The two Pokémon and their trainer were however led closer to the singing. Whoever was the singer, he was doing a terrible job even for Jake's low standards. He was fairly sure Back in Black was not supposed to sound like it was being sung by a strangled Fearow.

At the center of the camp was a large area filled with people. Most of the bikers were around a foldable table that looked like it had seen better days. On top of it was a large man, singing at the top of his lung. Everyone was surprisingly cheering him as he did so, despite his complete lack of talent. He concluded his song and looked at the crowd, that cheered louder, calling "Boss Ernest". He smiled widely, before noticing Reese.

He walked down from the table, and made his way to the group. Jake instinctively moved up his guard, but Reese smiled. "We have a guest Ernest. The kid is pretty strong."

"Oh, really?" The man said, looking down on the trainer and his Hitmonchan. Jake judged he was probably related to the other human, since they looked almost identical, though this Ernest looked somewhat older. "And what does he want?"

"I want to discuss the possibility you return the Pokémon you stole and leave the bridge." Darken said. Ernest laughed.

"Oh, that's priceless." He said, with a large, cruel smile and the beard "Come with me. We will get something to drink for your guts. After that… We will do business."

Darken nodded. Not for the first time, Jake wondered what was his plan now. He looked down to Tuffball.

"_Jake, what do we do?"_ She asked, worried.

Jake thought a moment _"What Yun said." _He replied, moving forward _"We trust him."_


	38. Chapter 37: A good poker face

Golden was proud of his ability to sneak around. He could easily move unnoticed in the grass, in the open ground, even in a bustling city. Darken catching him had not convinced the Meowth to change his mind. It had just been a lucky shot from Platina.

The Normal-type sneaked inside the large tent – actually, probably three tents slammed together, observing the object of his interest. Cages and Poké Balls on every side, one above the other in crude order. There were two Pokémon guarding them, but he could easily keep hidden from the Koffing and the Grimer in the shadow of the tent's far corner.

"_How is it?" _A female voice whispered. It took him all his self control to not scream. He turned to see Platina, the slightly order female Meowth, throw him an innocent look.

"_Two guards. No one else."_

"_Oh, easy then. So if things go south, we open the Poké Ball and let them wreak havoc in the camp, right?"_

"_Yup."_ He replied. Darken's idea was simple. Keep an eye on the Ball while I do my thing, to make sure they don't make them disappear, and if things go south, open them and run. _"I really hope it's the former."_

The tent used by Ernest was about as big as the others, just a bit more comfortable. Darken wondered what could ever bring a person to spend his life like this, but then refocused on the man sitting in front of him on a foldable chair, who was currently rummaging in a backpack. He took out three beers, throwing one at Reese and a second at Darken, before opening the third. He took a deep sip and then put it aside to rummage some more.

"Do you want anything kid? Magical Leaf? Slowpoke Tail?"

"No, I don't." He replied. He noticed the man take out some minced purple grass, that he guessed was the Magical Leaf.

"Good idea, keep your mind sound. This stuff is more for people like me." Ernest said. Reese chuckled behind Darken. Of course, the younger brother was still guarding the entrance. The older meanwhile was preparing his drugs, filling the room with their stench. "So, my brother says you and your Pokémon have guts. What did you do?"

"I beat his Arbok with my Hitmonchan." Darken replied, before Reese could.

The man chuckled. "And quite solidly." He added after a moment.

Ernest laughed "Well, that is something indeed. And what was that for? I don't believe we stole your Pokémon yesterday."

"That's why I am here though. You took a lot of Pokémon. I want to try and make a deal with you to give them back and leave." Both the humans and the Pokémon in the room stared at him. Darken ignored them, though internally he was screaming. After a few seconds that felt like eternity, both bikers started to laugh uncontrollably.

"We… We give them back and leave… Oh my stomach… Ooooh…" Ernest managed to say through their hilarity, though they both had to wait some time to get to that point. In fact, when he finally looked up to him, Darken could hear Reese still laughing.

"So, your great offer is to leave, now, and give back what we took. What's the incentive? It better be a good one."

The kid seemed to think something to himself for a second, but he nodded decisively. "Well here is the thing. I am from Saffron City, and I know a few people there. Including the Gym Leader."

"Ah, so this is your strategy. 'Leave or I'll call the cops', 'Go away or I call the League', 'Begone or our Gym Leader will beat you senseless'." Ernest laughed "You can save that. The Gym Leaders are too busy to make their way here." _'Our employer made sure of that.'_

"Well, that would be true, but Saffron City has a Psychic-type Gym Leader, who owns more than an Abra."

Ernest and Reese but changed expression at that, looking at him. Ernest took a deep breath from his Magical Leaf cigarette and removed it from his mouth, now looking at the young man dead serious "Teleport doesn't work like that." He said. He was actually a bit unsure, but he knew there were limitations "If it did, we would live in a very different world."

"Teleport transports a Pokémon and whoever is touching him to a few locations. Places where the Pokémon has been before many times, places he has worked hard to memorize… and to wherever they can feel another Psychic Pokémon's brainwave."

"And what's the case here? Does Cosmo have a passion for biking?"

Darken opened his Poké Ball, showing Kadabra, who immediately made a bow "When I chose to bring with me Yun here, I didn't choose him because he had an advantage against the Pokémon they saw you have yesterday. I brought him because he is a Psychic-type. And as such, he can use his powers to send his brainwaves to other people. In his case, he is powerful enough to send a message to… let's say Saffron?"

"I see. So, if we don't do what you say, we end up with Cosmo and his Trainees here in this tent." Ernest replied, glaring daggers at Reese. "Then why aren't they here?"

"Cosmo would rather not step in someone else's territory. Technically, it's Janine and Erika's job to keep the Cycle Road safe, not his." Darken smiled "If you don't believe me, ask him yourself." He put his hand in his pocket, and showed him a cellphone. Ernest noticed Jigglypuff surprised look, and apparently Darken did too, since he looked to her and spoke "Sorry Tuffball, you probably could hear it was on this entire time. Is just that I wanted to make sure Cosmo knew how it was going."

Without any hesitation, Ernest grasped the phone, almost snapping it, and immediately responded "Who are you?"

The unmistakable voice of the Gym Leader of Saffron City responded from the other side "Cosmo Saiko, Gym Leader of Saffron, Psychic-type expert, and Sabrina Natsume's fiancée. I should inform you, by the way, that she is also keeping a hear on our conversation. My Pokémon are good, but her Alakazam is particularly perceptive. Even from the Johto League they can faintly feel the brain waves of Darken's Kadabra."

"What's your main Pokémon?"

"Exeggutor."

"Your badge?"

"Swamp Badge."

"Your mother's family name?"

"Matoi."

"Arceus dammit." Ernest grumbled "He's the real deal." He said out loud. The last question was not public knowledge, he only knew because of information from his employer. Reese cursed under his breath, and Ernest returned to the phone "Is there a way we can save us some jail time?"

"As Darken said, I don't want to step on my fellow Gym Leader's feet. I fear Sabrina would hear a lot from Koga if I did. But, I can't pretend I didn't see anything, so if you could listen to Darken and just first give back the Poké Ball and then leave, I could just look the other way. Of course, if you don't do both, I will be forced to intervene. Same goes if anything happens to Darken."

Ernest's thoughts went wild for a moment. Now he only had two real options. Give back the Pokémon, and possibly get found out by his employer, or try to fight his way out against a Gym Leader. Usually, he would have chosen the latter. He was confident in his ability to send a wave of newbies against him and his companions while he and his top members made it out. But to face one without any strategy to keep him in check, there was no way he would win, if the Gym Leader went serious. "Fine." He said "Keep your phone on, you will hear from the kid once he confirms the deal is done. Does that work for you?"

"Perfectly." Cosmo replied.

Ernest put down the phone, and could not help but chuckle "Well kid, you are quite the son of a bitch. I had never been put in checkmate by a Trainer that still smells of mommy's milk. Kudos."

Darken observed the bikers bring back the goods. Crate after crate of Poké Ball, plus many cages almost always too small to hold whatever Pokémon was in them. They were dutifully piling them to the north of their camp. Meanwhile, the other bikers were removing the tents, waking up their slumbering companions with light kicks and some push. Some where barely conscious, too drunk to stand steadily.

Faster than he had expected, the camp was quickly cleaned of tents and motorcycles. Of course, they did not clean the road from the trash, making it look like the aftermath of a rock concert. Darken looked at the Poké Ball and cages, trying his best to figure out if that was really all. They were a lot, two hundred or more, mostly of course Ball. He wondered if any had been removed from the pile before he sent Golden and Platina in to investigate, but he had no way to know.

His thoughts were interrupted as Reese walked up to him with a grin. "That's all kid. I swear there are no other Poké Ball or Pokémon left with us, except for ours."

"I know." Darken said, pointing to the Meowth close to him "Golden and Platina made sure of it."

"You really thought everything up, uh? Sneaking in on us with those two to make sure we wouldn't lie on the goods being here if they weren't and to make sure we returned them all. The Hitmonchan was for combat. The Jigglypuff… You know, what was the point of the Jigglypuff exactly?"

"Putting you asleep, if you tried just mugging me instead. I was going to find another way to get Yun and the phone into camp if you did that."

"And then we end up with your Gym Leader friend in the camp anyway. Fantastic. So, you going to call off the deal now?"

"Not until I am sure you have left." Darken said, opening his last Poké Ball. A large Pidgeotto came out, flying over their heads and keeping his eyes firmly on the biker "He will keep an eye on you from above until you are out of the road. After that, I'll call him."

"Smart, smart." He said, turning to begin to walk away "Well, I give it to you, this round was your full victory."

"This round?"

"Who knows, we might run into each other again. If we do, the first thing I'll do is snap your phone."

Darken looked at him, puzzled "You know, I want to ask. What makes you think this is a good life? You spend all your days in a small tent or on the back of a bike, don't you?"

"There is more than that. I am free unlike most people. The Giratina's Chosens aren't the best, but we are freer than anyone else." He replied, without any hesitation, with a look that made it clear he was fully sincere. He shook his head "Also we get good money out of ransoming or selling stolen Pokémon, so there's that."

Darken cringed at that but could not help but figure those were probably valid reasons in some misguided way. In that moment, a few people walked up to Reese and told him something that made him nod. He turned around and nodded "Well, goodbye kid." And with that he left, jumping on his bike and joining the rest of the gang. Peat flew after them, and Darken waited, sitting down. After about ten minutes, his phone ringed.

"Yes?"

"Are they gone?" Asked Cosmo's voice, worried by the tone, on the other side.

"I am having Peat check. Once he is back, I'll call you." He replied. The voice on the other side grumbled, but nodded.

After about forty minutes, Peat finally came back, with a nod. Darken sighed in relief, took up the phone and called once more the same number "Cosmo here." Said the voice on the other side.

"They are gone."

There was a deep breath on the other side. Then Coypcat's voice thundered in Darken's hear "You idiot! You absolute moron! You… You… Why did you do this?!"

"I…"

"It's stupid enough to try and take them on knowing a Gym Leader has your back, you had a bluff! A bluff!" Her screaming grew to a point Darken had to remove the phone from his hear, and could still hear her clearly. "What were you going to do if they were willing to take the risk, exactly?"

"Come on, it wasn't that bad of a plan. It worked, didn't it?"

"Oh, don't even try. I went along with it only because I knew otherwise you were going to try something more dangerous." She was fuming, he could almost picture her expression.

Darken coughed "Oh come on, you don't know that."

"I know that one hundred percent!" She shouted, though now it was not as strong. "Seriously, tell me again, what was your great plan? Oh right, get me to imitate Cosmo, since he can't be reached in this period because he is too busy, talk on the phone with their boss to convince him you are serious, tell him something to make it sound like a threat, and then HOPE that he doesn't decide you just deserve a beating."

Darken nodded, though he knew she couldn't see him "Come on, there was also my plan B with Tuffball, Yun and my two Meowth. And who better than you to imitate Cosmo? Being cousins, you would know exactly what to say to make him sound real."

"Oh please, you know this isn't going to work, right?"

The woman next to Darken nodded "I have to agree, you should just apologize to your girlfriend."

Darken blushed like a tomato, and frantically shook his hands "We aren't that kind of friends, we are just…" He looked at the woman, with a surprised look, then returned to the phone "Uh, Copycat, Sabrina is here."

"Wait what?" The girl asked. Sabrina, one of the newer Elite Four and ex-Gym Leader of Saffron City, a woman with short black hair and deep red eyes, chuckled and took the phone.

"Hello Copy, how are you doing?"

"Oh, uh… Hello Sabrina. Yeah, I am fine."

"Good, good. Still, are you really still working on it?"

The girl did not reply, and Sabrina chuckled "It's alright, it's alright. Took me long as well. Good luck. Now sorry, but I have something to discuss with the young Trainer here." She said.

Darken gulped as Sabrina hanged up his phone and looked down to him. "So. You sent away Giratina's Chosens with a fake call and a Kadabra. You are probably feeling very proud of yourself, right?"

"I…" He started, but before he could continue Sabrina karate chopped him on the head. He winced and grasped the hit point, and she shook her head.

"You did something very dangerous kid. And you did it for the wrong reasons. Seriously, just to impress a girl?" She said, looking at Darken's eyes.

"No, no, seeing Rhea like that just convinced me to try and… Wait, how do you know about it?"

She chuckled, as his Kadabra came out of the Poké Ball and winked at him. "Your Pokémon is quite the smart one. He was worried for you, so he focused on sending the message out. Alakazam perceived it, and once we were done with a few challengers we teleported here. Frankly, I thought it was just a prank call of sort. It happens sometimes. A Trainer thinks it's funny to tell their Pokémon to send out fake distress messages, and me or Cosmo have to pop in to check. Trust me, they don't get away with it easily."

Darken looked at Yun, who nodded in a sign even Darken could tell was a 'no need to thank me' gesture. The Trainer was dumbfounded for a moment, then laughed "Well, and here I thought that I did something special."

"To be fair, you did. Something very stupid, but also very special. Don't try to make that a habit though." She said, rubbing his hair.

"You know, no offense but I thought you were more…"

"Regal, proud and cold? Yeah, I have good PR, and is a persona I try to keep up in public. But you are Copycat's best friend, and she is my fiancée's cousin, so it's ok to let myself go a little, isn't it?"

Darken nodded "I suppose. So, what now?"

"Nothing really. I go to Janine and Erika to inform them the problem is solved and reprimand them a bit for letting it fester. You take those back to the Trainer House and try to find their owners." She said, opening a Poké Ball "Alakazam, open those cages please. Gently."

Alakazam nodded, and immediately the iron bars of the cages bent like a spoon in the hands of a psychic, the Pokémon walking out quickly. Some, probably wild ones, ran away immediately, while the stolen ones began to open the Poké Ball nearby and hug some of the Pokémon inside. Darken smiled seeing a Machop and a Jigglypuff sharing a high five. His thoughts were interrupted by Sabrina "Well, I should thank you. You took care of a problem the League did not have the time to solve."

"We have gone from reprimanding to praise?"

"I have to reprimand you as my role. I can also thank you, not praise you, as a personal opinion." She replied, with a smile "Now, get those Poké Ball to the Trainer House. Some people are waiting for them." And with that, she touched Alakazam shoulder and disappeared. Darken remained there for a moment more, then he, his Pokémon, and the liberated Pokémon started taking the Poké Ball to the Trainer House. He smiled. That had gone really well.


	39. Chapter 38: What friends are for

"We should challenge the Gym." Leaf said suddenly, mid-lunch.

Raziel, Draconix and Giuls looked up at her from their dishes. The girl was the first to respond "You mean like, right now, or…"

"We have spent three more days training after the festival guys, we are ready for it, don't you think?"

"I pass." Draconix replied "This is another Gym where I don't have any real advantage. Charmeleon is weak against them and Fearow alone isn't enough." He said.

"You have been training every day all day more than anyone else. Isn't that too much?" Leaf replied.

"There's no training like overtraining." Draconix replied.

"I am fairly sure that's not a wise mindset." Raziel commented "But this time I have to pass too. I don't really have a strategy against Starmie."

Leaf shook her head "Come on guys, you can't just train all day until you find a sure way to beat the Gym Leader, sometimes you have to jump in and try."

"That's literally the job of a Trainer that is taking the League challenge."

Leaf now pouted "'That's literally the job of a Trainer that is taking the League challenge'." She repeated, exaggerating his tone "Come on, it will be fun!"

Raziel sighed "Giuls, can you say something too?"

Giuls did not respond, and they all turned to watch her deep in thought. She looked up to notice all three of them staring at her "Ah, uh, what is it?"

"Are you ok? You have been brooding a lot the past few days. And that should be ghost boy's job." Leaf said.

"Hey!" Raziel replied "It's not brooding, is giving myself a tone, all Ghost-type trainers do it."

Leaf ignored him "Seriously Giuls, you have been deep in thought so much you barely paid attention to our training, so much that Ivysaur actually Vine Whipped you to get you back in focus!"

Draconix chuckled, but both Raziel and Leaf glared at him. Giuls sighed "Is just that I think you are right. I need to try even if I am not sure."

Leaf's smile grew far larger, while Raziel and Draconix both looked at her in disbelief "Are you sure?" Draconix asked "I mean, if you feel like challenging the Gym go ahead, but are you really trusting Leaf's judgement on whether we should."

"Hey!" Leaf shouted "I have perfectly good judgement."

"Didn't you tell us you ordered Ivysaur to charge five Team Rocket members at once during the attack?"

"And it worked!" She replied, with a proud grin "Also don't try to teach me what judgement is you two, you told me what you did in the cave."

Draconix sighed ounce more "Fine, fine. If you feel like it, you should do it. I just won't come with you two."

"Not even to watch?"

"Of course I will come to watch!" Draconix replied. Raziel nodded.

"Excellent!" Leaf said with a smile, finally sitting back down and returning her full attention to her meal "Let's finish this and get to work."

Giuls looked down. She felt a knot in her stomach at the idea of the Gym challenge. She was worried, she realized, more than just for a Gym Challenge. She was worried she was doing the wrong thing at jumping in, but she was also worried taking too long might make Ivysaur unhappy. She was hitching for a fight since the tournament, something more than just her usual training. And she wanted to make her happy. _'I just need to win. That's all.'_ She thought. "And Leaf." She started.

The brown-haired girl turned to her "Yes?"

"Thank you, I needed the push to decide."

"Oh, come on." She said with a smile "What are friends for, after all?"

The Cerulean Gym was more like a giant public pool at first glance. Leaf entered from the challenger's entrance giggling madly, while Giuls followed her calmly. Next to Giuls was Ivysaur, who could not help but wonder how two Trainers so different could be friends.

The girls both took the platforms, rather than going by swim, and Ivysaur followed her trainer on it. It was more like a maze, with them and a bunch of other trainers walking on the platforms to make their way to the Gym Leader.

The Grass type looked down to the water. She had never been a swimmer, but she had no problem with it. Her flower was basically a giant floater after all, even though she still needed to move her legs to really be comfortable. As she kept walking, they came at a turn, where a trainer swimming in the water welcomed them. "Hello." He said with a smile "I'm Luis. Might I ask how many Badges you have?" He asked.

"One." The trainers replied. He nodded.

"In that case, I'd ask you two to send out a Pokémon each. If they fall in the water, or you do the same, you will have to give up on the Gym Challenge for today." He said. He opened two Poké Ball, with a smile. An Horsea appeared next to him, while a Shellder landed on the platform.

Ivysaur observed the two Pokémon. The Shellder could be problematic, but she was still convinced she could pull a victory if she put her back into it. With a smile, she moved against it, but Giuls stopped her and sent out Clefairy. Ivysaur frowned. In the last few days, she felt Giuls wasn't using her as much as before. And she knew it wasn't jealousy. Since the Tournament, her trainer seemed to feel… guilty. _'Did I do something?' _She wondered. She had thought she had given a good show at the Tournament, to suitably show her strength and power. But Giuls acting like this was… weird. She looked up at her.

"_She isn't thinking I am weak, is she?" _The idea struck her like an arrow, so shocking she started speaking out loud. It was true she had only won in the Tournament thanks to the Miracle Seed, but… _"Oh Arceus, she thinks I am weak." _She realized _"Of course. Of course, my first serious fight was a loss, and then I let Clefairy escape. That's why she is using Clefairy more?"_

"_As if."_ A voice said from behind her as she was struck by a slap on the back of her head. She turned to see who had done that, and noticed Clefairy, victorious over the Shellder _"Seriously, go back to your usual superiority act, princess, or I'll slap you for real."_ She said.

"_What?"_

"_You heard me."_ Clefairy said, as Leaf's Ivysaur defeated the Horsea _"You have been worrying yourself the past few days. So much you didn't even notice that Giuls is as worried as you are. So much you have even dropped your usual act of superiority."_

Ivysaur blushed _"But I am worried! She seems to not trust me anymore."_

"_Because she is worried you don't trust her! Dialga, you two really are made for one another."_ Clefairy said _"Trust me, you two are worried about the same issue."_ She continued, walking on as Giuls and Leaf thanked Luis and continued on their way.

Ivysaur was puzzled. Had she really been overthinking it? In the last three days, Giuls always spaced out during their training, so much that at one point she had tried to wake her up with her vines. She had hit a bit too hard admittedly, but…

"_Seriously, get a grip." _Clefairy said _"You are scaring me, acting all mopey and worried, like a completely different Pokémon. Does this happen every time you lose?"_

Ivysaur could not help but wonder if it had to do with her defeat against the Gastly. The Ghost-type was already the second in a list of Pokémon that had proved her she was not invincible like she had once thought. It was a lesson she had learned, but maybe she really was letting another loss get to her. _"You are right."_ She decided _"Thanks Clefairy."_

"_Oh, come on. What are friends for, after all?"_ She asked, as the two young trainers walked on. She could hear them chatter under their breath. Even with her powerful hearing, it was barely a whisper.

"So, are you really going to?" Asked Giuls, now with a completely different expression. Leaf smiled. She had told her hoping it would get her mood up a bit, and it seemed to be working.

"Yep. If I win, I am going to ask Draconix on a date." Leaf replied. She felt her cheeks turn a shade of red, but pretended to ignore it.

"Since when are you interested in him?!" Giuls asked, her whisper barely such "I mean, I did notice you had been glancing at him, but…"

"Oh, you know. You meet a guy, travel with him and his goth-emo-punk friend, and start to wonder if you and him could… you know… be a thing…" Leaf replied. The squeal from Giuls made her smile more. She was her best friend. She knew Giuls wouldn't resist something like that. _'And is not like I am lying. Completely.'_ She did think Draconix was a cool guy, and she wouldn't have minded him as a boyfriend _'Though saying I am in love might be a bit much.'_ She continued in her head. They had known each other too little for that, in her opinion.

Giuls nodded, then put her hand on Leaf's shoulder, a fire in her eyes "Don't lose. I will find out what's the most romantic restaurant in Cerulean. I will make you have the best date ever!"

Leaf smiled _'Arceus, what have I done.'_ She thought. She knew for Giuls stuff like this was incredibly serious. That's why she usually didn't tell her anything before a date. She was a great friend, but would always try to help in her own way. Which usually meant making every date far more romantic than Leaf liked. She would probably find her a restaurant filled with roses and hearts, with violin players at every table and some Pokémon with Attraction around to create the right atmosphere, if left unchecked. "Thanks Giuls." She simply replied. She knew her friend needed the distraction to relax before the Gym Challenge.

"What are friends for?" She asked, as they finally reached the Gym Leader. Seeing the burning fire in her eyes, Leaf sighed _'What have I done?'_

Ernest leaned back on the chair. After their debacle the day before, Giratina's Chosens had driven their bikes all the way to Fuchsia, keeping a low profile and taking over a small pub on the outskirt of town.

He was sitting there, drinking some beer that was more water than beer, half-considering the idea of just throwing it in the face of the proprietor. Though the muscle of the man were only matched by those of the two Machamp bouncers. He looked intimidating, something Ernest wouldn't say lightly.

He was still in his thoughts when a young man with blue hair sit next to him, accompanied by a Meowth that sit on the next seat over. Ernest ignored them as the man took a good sip of his own beer before shuddering in disgust. "Man, it really sucks, doesn't it?" He asked, looking at the biker.

"Listen, I'm not in the mood for some chitchat, so you would be better off just…"

"Yeah, it really sucks. Giratina's Chosens get kicked out by a kid. That really sucks." He continued "Especially because that means their employer isn't happy."

Ernest froze, narrowing his eyes "So, it's about that. Well, blame the employer. We had a deal, that meant the Gym Leaders were kept busy. And then one of them calls me informing us we will be invaded if we don't give up what we got. So, really, sucks for him."

The blue haired trainer chuckled "Well, the Boss isn't going to be ok with that." He said "Not at all. You know what happens when our Boss is unhappy."

"That's a stupid bluff." Ernest replied "I am useful enough that my employer will not off me."

"No, he won't. But we can still punish you." He said, with a grin "I believe you have a brother called Reese."

"And…"

"I believe he might have a small incident. Nothing big. Just you know, a few months with a cast. At first."

Ernest froze, sputtering the little beer he was taking in "Would this be a hypothetical or a fact?"

"That's up to you." The blue haired man replied "Team Rocket always protects his friends. Not so his enemies."

"Well, then I'd say we are all friends. What can we do?"

"Oh, we just want you to do some little work for us in a month or so. Be ready to respond, friend." The man said, standing up, followed by the Meowth "I'll tell my partner to make sure nothing bad happens to Reese. We certainly want to ensure he is ok." He said.

"Of course." Ernest replied "What are friends for after all?" He murmured. The other man chuckled, and suddenly the biker felt he had agreed to something worse than is usual business.


	40. Chapter 39: Watering plants

WATERING PLANTS

Misty smiled seeing the two girls working forward. She fixed slightly her striped white shirt and walked forward. "Welcome to the Cerulean Gym. Congratulations for making it to me. I suppose you are both here for the challenge?" The girls nodded and she smiled "So, sisters or just friends?"

"Best friends!" The taller girl, the one with long hairs, said, and the shortest nodded.

"I see. I don't look that much like my sisters, so I tend to ask. Anyway, how many badges do you have?" She asked with a smile. They both showed her the Boulder Badge and she nodded "Very well, two v two then. Who goes first?"

The two girls looked at each other, and without saying a word started playing rock, paper, scissors. Misty couldn't help but chuckle. Back during her trainee days, she would do that all the time with her best friend when it was time to train with Lorelei. She wondered how her friend was doing up north, then Leaf walked forward while a defeated Giuls moved back, stopping the track of thoughts.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She said.

"Thank you." Misty replied "Now, shall we begin."

Leaf nodded, and Misty sent out her first choice, Poliwhirl. _'Might be a bit on the strong side, I'll balance it if needed.'_ She thought, pondering a moment her second choice. When Leaf sent out a Bellsprout, though, she nodded. _'Definitely the right choice then. I might not have to balance the second Pokémon after all.'_ She noted, as Poliwhirl launched a Water Gun from his left hand. Bellsprout took the hit and launched a Vine Whip, her legs' roots extending to cover the distance and hit the opponent in the chest. Poliwhirl tanked the hit with his right hand. Bellsprout's vines begun to close around his arm, but on her order he released a Bubble. The liquid created enough of a slippery effect, rubbing on the vine, to allow the Pokémon to free his arm. He retaliated with another Water Gun, to little effect, and then jumped back to avoid a second Vine Whip.

'_So far so good. We can probably step up our game.'_ Misty thought with a smile. She made a slight gesture with her left hand, just raising two fingers, and Poliwhirl nodded, moving forward to release a Mega Punch. Bellsprout surprisingly reacted quickly by releasing… Sleep Powder or Stun Spore. Whatever it was, Misty shouted a command and Poliwhirl dutifully used Bubble to absorb it all and march forward. She smiled. The Powders had been a thorn in her flank for quite some time when she had first started her role as Gym Leader, but she had long since developed countermeasures, as Bellsprout and Leaf were learning.

The Mega Punch impacted in Bellsprout face, sending her fly backward. She stood up, trembling, and released a new gust of Powders. However, rather than stopping, at Leaf command she kept going, a wall of Powder of some kind quickly forming, the Bellsprout disappearing behind it. "I see, so aiming for quantity to force me on long range." She commented with a grin. Not the first time someone tried that. She sent another command, and Poliwhirl quickly threw himself in the fog, the bubbles emerging from all over his humid body to absorb the powder. With a smile, the amphibian emerged on the other side… To find nothing. Both him and Misty froze. The Bellsprout was gone. _'Where...' _She thought for a second, then realized where. She tried to call for a new move, but a series of Vine Whip struck Poliwhirl from the Sleep Powder fog.

'_She created a barrier of powder to disappear in it. If it is Sleep Powder, she is immune to it, so she had no issue walking in it. And then it was only a matter of waiting for Poliwhirl to walk through it and leave an opening.'_ Poliwhirl turned around as she figured out Leaf's strategy, but he was far too slow. A new Vine Whip hit him in the face, followed by one in the stomach. His retaliatory Water Gun hit only powder, before hitting a wall. Misty noted that the attacks were stopping and the powder increasing in quantity once more. Clearly, Bellsprout was keeping up the wall. _'Erika's strategy is something like that for first trainers. If I have to guess, the girl has studied her strategies based on watching Gym Leaders.'_ She thought with a grin. She liked that. The girl was doing a good job. As she expected, soon Poliwhirl was down. Bellsprout emerged from the cloud, wobbly for the few hits she had taken but still standing.

'_Well then, I guess I don't have to pull back.'_ She opened the pool and sent out Starmie. The Water-type Pokémon moved slowly, propelling itself and waiting to strike. Bellsprout observed the enemy, and then a sudden burst of purple powder fired forward_ 'Poisoning, uh?'_ Misty, of course, realized immediately the reason. Leaf clearly knew of her technique to deal with Grass-types and was trying to put at least a dent in it.

Starmie responded with Swift. The star-shaped beam impacted without fail on Bellsprout, sending her roll backward. The poisonous powder, surprisingly, did not stop, actually impacting on the water around Starmie, instantly turning it in a toxic liquid. The Water-type recoiled, moving out of the way, but Misty could tell the poison was in circle. She grunted. Now it was a race against time.

Bellsprout tried to stand up, but at Misty order Starmie launched Swift once more, and the Grass-type went down. Leaf recalled her, and an Ivysaur of a unique color entered the field. _'Of course it's a double advantage. Also explains why she prioritized making Recover less valuable.'_ Misty reasoned. With the Poison, Recover had lost part of its utility. And yet, Misty smiled. _'Very well then. After all, I always say it…'_ She gave an hand gesture, and suddenly Starmie's gem shone a bright red and the first set of points began rotating at high speed, as it released a barrage of Swift. _'… My strategy is all-out attack with Water-type.'_

Ivysaur saw the Swift coming, and begun to run. She knew dodging Swift was impossible, as the attack would keep tracking her until the hit came in. But as Leaf had put it, that didn't mean she had to just take it. The Grass-type launched herself forward, and with a smile her leaves went stiff. She bent her head, and the leaves flew forward, impacting on Starmie. Of course, she also added her little extra trick on one of the leaves.

Ivysaur felt the Swift impacting on her side, and went flying, rolling on another platform, hanging on to not fall in the water. She felt the first rush of energy and smiled, before using her Vine Whip to launch herself forward. She saw the incoming Bubble Beam, and took the hit, feeling her body covered in the slippery liquid that would make it hard to run without losing control, but responded immediately with another Razor Leaf. The following surge of energy made her smile once more as she held against a Swift and impacted again with Vine Whip, coming to a halt on the very ledge of the platform she landed on.

'_Alright, you overgrown sea star, how are you doing?'_ She wondered. It was hard to tell, because of her lack of expressions, but Starmie's glow was purple now, sometimes switching to Blue. She handled barely the Swift, grunting in pain, and nodded as she felt a third burst of energy. "It's working…" She murmured, responding with a Razor Leaf.

Starmie held on one more moment, and then went limp, as a fourth burst of energy invaded Ivysaur.

"She did well." Raziel noted. Him, Draconix, Gastly and Charmeleon were observing the fight from the seats, and both had been cheering madly the entire time.

"Yeah, but didn't she hold on a bit too well? I thought the last Swift was going to be the end of it." Draconix replied, taking a sip of water.

"You didn't notice the Leach Seed?" Raziel asked.

Draconix looked at him dumbfounded "The what?"

"The Leech Seed. She added one to the first barrage of Razor Leaf. That's what kept her going. Misty noticed, that's why she tried to end the fight while using only attacks from the distance."

"How did YOU notice? I get how Misty would, but you are up here."

Raziel looked at him, serious "I am a Ghost-type user. Tricks are part of the deal."

"… Oh. Yeah makes sense." Draconix replied, looking back at the field. Leaf was accepting the badge as Giuls stepped forward. Leaf looked up at the seats and both saw her… blushing? She turned to look at Giuls, that was… beaming with joy? "What is going on?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Raziel replied, as confused as his friend. "Anyway, it's Giuls' turn." He said, pointing back to the field "Think she can do it."

"I do." Draconix said "You don't?"

"I am… not sure. She has been down the past couple days. Especially after Ivysaur lost to Gastly." He said, thinking back at their training. Gastly and Ivysaur had fought on their first day of training after the tournament. For reasons he didn't know, she seemed convinced winning was important, so it had been more of an actual fight than just training. When she had lost, Raziel had noticed her growing sad, and was wondering why. "I hope this goes well."

Giuls was still happy for Leaf, which was going to be helpful at keeping her mood up as she challenged the Gym. She sent out Clefairy, facing off against the Shellder of the Gym Leader. She smiled. Her guess that, after Leaf's two Grass Pokémon, Misty would try to prevent another losing match up like the one before was right. She had chosen an Ice moves user to try and avoid another Water-type. She patted Ivysaur Poké Ball. _'I will send you out later, I promise.'_ She thought.

Clefairy jumped ahead with a Double Slap. Her hands quickly hit Shellder's hard shell, but he resisted only for a while before moving to the offensive. The Icicle Spears emerged from his hidden body and fired off, sending Clefairy fly back and then bombarding her with a barrage. Clefairy stood back up the moment the ice stopped and used her stored moon light to jump far above the opponent, out of reach. Then, Giuls smiled. "Go for it!" She shouted. Clefairy smiled, extended her leg, and flew down from the sky with a powerful Mega Kick. Shellder cried in pain as the kick impacted the shell, cracking it despite it's hard exterior.

"Mega Kick? How… Oh, those two." Misty said, and Giuls chuckled "I wish they weren't so happy about teaching their moves to every single trainer."

"Why, I appreciate it." Giuls replied with a grin, as Clefairy turned with a roundhouse kick – something Giuls had never thought she would see a Clefairy do – and send Shellder fly to the side. The Water-Type stood back up, however, and immediately replied with another barrage of Icicle Spears. She was sent flying back once more, her light body making it hard to hold her ground against the impact. Then Giuls made another signal. Clefairy nodded and burst forward, this time using her moon light not to jump, but to make herself move faster. The wings quickly stopped glowing, but it had worked to cover the distance. And when they did, Clefairy started to Sing. Immediately, Shellder dropped asleep, falling victim to a Double Slap.

Misty smiled, recalling a defeated Shellder "I don't see trainers using the Clefairy ability to store and use moon light too often."

"That's pretty normal." Giuls replied "During the day, they consume it all after a few jumps."

Misty smiled, and opened the pool as she sent out once more Starmie. The Water Type immediately moved to the offensive, rotating rapidly. Clefairy tried to reply to the Rapid Spin with a Double Slap, but the spinning Starmie received almost no damage before she impacted and sent the Clefairy flying off once more. This time, though, Giuls grunted as the Normal type landed heavily. "Shouldn't have consumed all the moon light."

"As I thought. You consumed it for the offensive, which means she can't use it to slow her impact with the ground. Bold move that paid off against Shellder, but now…" Starmie launched a Bubble Beam, and Clefairy went flying once more, falling to the ground, and rose panting heavily.

Giuls nodded "Very well, let's gamble then." She replied, and Clefairy nodded. Her finger quickly moved left and right… and a great amount of dirt covered her foot, forming the shape of a hoof as she launched herself forward. The impact did clear damage to the now blue and green shining Starmie, but then a follow up Bubble Beam sent her flying backward, defeated. Despite this, Giuls smiled. Metronome could really come in handy in a clutch. It was clear the impact had affected the Starmie.

She sighed, and sent Ivysaur to take Clefairy's place.

Ivysaur entered the field, looking around in the water to immediately focus on the Starmie. The Water-type was clearly damaged, and Ivysaur could also tell some surprise from its movement, though she could barely tell. Starmie were among the few Pokémon that didn't use words or telepathy to communicate and understanding them was often difficult. But the green and blue shine of her nucleus was telling. However, the gem turned red, and Starmie fired a massive wave of Bubble Beam. Ivysaur ignored the attack, simply resisting it by planting a vine in the platform, and launched instead her own attack with Vine Whip, impacting in the flank of the Starmie. The Bubble Beam flew off, and the Pokémon shone a bright Yellow. The Recover was evident, but Ivysaur simply grinned. _'Good, otherwise this was gonna be boring.'_

She charged forward, from one Platform to the next, and shook her back. She smiled seeing the Razor Leaf. The Grass-type liked the way the new move looked, and the impact clearly did enough damage to render the Recover almost unimportant. Almost. The Starmie was still standing and its gem went red as it fired another strong Bubble Beam.

She glanced at Giuls as she flew back, and the trainer was nervous, but smiled to her. Ivysaur smiled back. _'Good, she trusts me, even if nervously.'_ Ivysaur thought. She landed on her flank and used a vine to get back on her feet, before attacking with one more Vine Whip. Her attack gripped on one of the starfish arms, dragging it up to then slam her in the ground. The starfish shone yellow right before the impact and stood back up, the Recover blunting the blow. She fired once more the Razor Leaves, but this time they were stopped by a Bubblebeam. A few of the leaves still hit, but not for as much damage as Ivysaur had hoped for. She looked at Giuls. The trainer gave another signal, and Ivysaur sighed. She didn't like that strategy, but she could see this required her to do it. _'I wouldn't have done this before. I am really changing.'_ She thought, before charging forward once more. She launched a Vine Whip, but Starmie freed herself with a Rapid Spin. However, this played right in Ivysaur's plan. The Rapid Spinning Starmie charged right against her, but as she did, she found herself flying directly inside the sudden release of Stun Spore from Ivysaur's red bud.

Starmie shone purple as the Stun Spore took effect, her movement growing sluggish. Ivysaur, without missing a beat, launched another Razor Leaf. Starmie tried to reply by shining yellow once more with Recover, but her body seemed to not respond to her order. Ivysaur smiled and bent backward, dragging the Starmie upward and then slamming it in a nearby platform. Before Starmie could respond with anything else, a Razor Leaf impacted against it, defeating the Pokémon.

"Wow." Draconix said.

"Yeah, 'wow' sums it up pretty well. Ivysaur is damn dangerous now." Raziel replied "I think the only advantage I would have is that Gastly can't be gripped with those vines."

"And Charmeleon can burn them. I'm not sure Fearow could take her though." Draconix added, looking at Misty complimenting Giuls and handing her the badge "So, when are you taking the Gym?"

"Tomorrow, or the day after." Raziel said "Why?"

"Because I am doing it tomorrow morning."

"Are you sure? Charmeleon…"

"I have Fearow. We can do it." He said "Also, Blue made it two weeks ago, more or less, and Giuls made it today. I don't want to fall behind."

Raziel smiled "Man, Blue is really ahead."

"Yeah, he probably made it to his third badge already." Draconix replied "He sent a message from Saffron earlier this morning, saying he was taking the Gym."

Raziel nodded "Well, I guess we should go complimenting the girls and training, if you plan to take the Gym tomorrow. Let's go."

And with that the two left their seats to go meet the two trainers.


	41. Chapter 40: Dating Sim, Losing Team

Draconix gulped. "I…"

He looked at Leaf right in the eyes. She had beautiful green eyes, he noticed. He wondered how he missed that before. "Come on." She said with a confident smile "It will be fun! And if you don't feel like we can be a thing, you can just say it at the end of the date." She added with a grin "I don't want to force it, but I hope you can give me a chance."

Draconix heart was skipping beats, and at the same time he was feeling like his chest would burst and the heart jump out. She had beautiful brown hair, he noticed. He wondered how he missed that before. "Yes." He mumbled "I'd love a date with you."

She smiled, and Draconix gulped. Then, before he could react, she kissed him on the cheek "That's great! We will meet up at…" She looked at a piece of paper and chuckled "Disc o' Luv Restaurant, 8 PM. Giuls really wasn't subtle there. Well, later!" She added, and walked away.

Draconix shook his head, and in doing so realized his face was burning red. He touched himself, felling his face basically on fire. "Yeah, I need that time to calm down…" He thought.

"See?! I told you." Giuls said excitedly from the nearby side road she had basically dragged Raziel to the moment they had left the Gym.

"Wow, good for him." Raziel replied.

"That's it? Good for him? You aren't even a little curious on how this is going to go?"

"Nope. I have training to do, Gastly is THIS close to master a new move. And besides it's their date. If it goes well we will probably hear everything about it once they are done. If it doesn't, I don't think they want us to know."

"But Draconix will need your help!"

"I never had a girlfriend that didn't turn out to just want my dad's money. I doubt I can teach him anything." Raziel simply replied.

"Wait, your dad's money? I didn't know you were rich." Giuls replied. Raziel turned around, taking a double take.

"My surname doesn't tell you anything?"

"What, should I know it?" She asked. He chuckled.

"No, no forget it."

"Come on, you can't just drop it on me and leave me hanging! You know I will just Google it if you don't tell me!" She replied.

Raziel sighed "Fine, fine. You know Silph Company? What do you think the S in Silph stands for? My grandfather, Raziel I Spartos, was one of the founders of the company. In fact, my family is the only one that is still on the board of directors. That's how I ended up with a 'III' in my name."

"Whaaaaat?! You are the grandson of one of Silph Co. founders?! And they are still a major part of the company?! Just how rich are you?!"

"And _that_ is why I didn't tell you before." He said, with a sad smile "A lot of people look at me with greedy eyes when they hear that. Or at least never treat me as they did before. That's why I chose to not use my family money to make this journey."

Giuls took a step back, with a serious look "Please, you are Raziel. That's more important than you being rich." She replied, then nodded "I promise I'll keep it a secret. Just between you and me."

"Thank you, Giuls, that means a lot." He said.

"Soooo…"

"No, I'm not going to spy on them."

"Dammit." She said "Blue would have."

"He wouldn't."

Giuls looked at him "You knew him for half a day, how did you know that?"

Raziel grinned "I didn't, it just seems out of character for him. But thanks for confirming it." He said. She pouted, and the Ghost-type trainer laughed. "Speaking of Blue, any news?"

"No, but we will probably hear from him soon. I bet he is going to show off that badge for days once he wins it."

Blue looked at the Saffron City Gym. The building was not overly decorated. Just some palm trees around the entrance and a great sign welcoming all challengers. He could not help but be nervous. Of all the Gym Leaders, Cosmo was known mostly for his 'rookie crusher' fame. That's why a lot of trainers from Saffron City had their first badge in Cerulean, and why Saffron organized the city event later: it was a lot more appealing to visit for experts than for newbies.

"But this means he is strong, not invincible." He said, entering the Gym. The fame Cosmo had as a tough opponent was well deserved, but still, a good number of challengers claimed his medal. And Blue knew he could be one of them.

It took him a frustrating hour jumping from platform to platform and from fight to fight, but he finally did it and reached the Gym Leader. "Welcome." He said. He laughed noticing his rather angry look "I take you didn't do well in the maze?"

"Why would you have a room with four pads that send you to another pad in the room?"

"Well is about realizing you should turn back… Wait you tried all four?"

"Of course I did, you are supposed to try everything before admitting defeat!"

Cosmo stared at the young trainer for a long moment, then laughed uproariously "Well kid, I like you. So, how many medals?"

"Two."

"Then it will be your first three v three. Are you ready?"

Blue smiled and placed himself on his side of the Gym. Cosmo did the same, and they both sent out their first Pokémon.

The evening went by fast for Draconix. At least, that was Charmeleon and Fearow's impression as their trained dashed from store to store trying clothes for the unexpected date.

"_So, what is a date?"_ Fearow asked, looking at the young Fire-type.

"_You know how you court a possible mate by showing off something?"_

Fearow nodded _"Yes."_

"_That."_

"_Oh. Wait, are they going to have an egg?"_ Fearow asked. Charmeleon laughed, a long, burning laughter that caught the attention of everyone in the clothing store.

"_That's… that's not how… How humans work... Pffft… Ahahahahah!" _He said continuing to laugh. He saw Draconix shoot him a glare from the cabin and could only chuckle more. _"Anyway, no, no egg."_

"_Oh, thank Arceus. I have seen baby humans, they all look squishy."_

Charmeleon tried his best to control himself. He truly did. He tried his absolute best to not stop himself from just laughing maniacally.

In the end he failed miserably.

"Alright girls, we need something good for the date." Leaf said, as she picked up clothes. Soon, her Pokémon were bringing their own. She snickered "Thanks, Bellsprout, but I don't think this hat is good for a date." She said. The grass Pokémon looked down, and Leaf gulped "But you know what, I'll buy it anyway." She said, picking up the piece of clothing. It was decorated with large Venusaur leaves, in mimetic color, but it did look nice.

She entered the cabin and started trying her dresses. As she did so, she wondered what would happen at the date. Asking Draconix out had been a whim, as usual. She liked him, of course, but she wondered if she had been too fast. After all, she had only known him for a short time.

'_Well, if I don't like him as a boyfriend we can just stay friends. That worked out with Red.'_ She thought. Giuls was actually pretty sure Red still had a crush on her, but she disagreed. Red was a good guy, but that didn't make him a good boyfriend by itself.

She picked her clothes for the date, and smiled walking out of the store after paying. This was going to be a nice day.

Blue sent out his last Pokémon. He clenched his teeth. Cosmo was a seriously tough opponent. Raticate had beaten Drowzee only to be defeated by Kadabra, who had lost to his own Kadabra. Unfortunately, now Cosmo's ace, his Exeggutor. The Pokémon immediately scattered himself and beat Kadabra with surprising ease.

"Alright, time for your turn Pidgeotto." The Pallet Town Trainer said confidently, sending out the Flying-type. The Pokémon started immediately with a Sand Attack, scattering sand in all directions to blind not only the main head but also the beacons. The aura of Confusion surged forward from the body of the Exeggutor, but Pidgeotto avoided them by rising further in the sky. Then he came down with a Wing Attack… And Cosmo smiled.

His Pokémon sent out a burst of psychic energy. The Confusion surged out, not to hit Pidgeotto, but to recall the heads. They all collided together, and in that moment, Pidgeotto impacted. The main head used the smaller ones to dampen the blow and maintain its concentration. While the attack was strong, Pidgeotto was unable to pierce through the solid defenses of the other heads. The central head bursted out with a Confusion throwing Pidgeotto down on the arena floor. The Pokémon tried to take flight, but Cosmo smiled and launched a Barrage.

The attack scattered him in every direction, and both Gym Leader and Pokémon grinned. With a burst of energy, Pidgeotto was sent flying left and right, hitting walls, floor and roof. By the time it stopped, he was down.

Blue remained speechless for a second, but the truth was clear.

He had lost.


	42. Chapter 41: Match and Rematch

Blue leaned back on the bed and sighed. _'Cosmo is so strong.'_ He thought, sighing. He looked at Raticate. The Pokémon was curled in a corner, dejected. Blue couldn't speak Pokémon, but he wasn't stupid. He stood up.

"Raticate, it's not your fault." He said clearly "It's no one's fault. We lost as a team." _'It's my fault. I should have given better orders. I should have told him to dodge left in that moment… and I should have called for a Quick Attack rather than a Bite there…'_

Raticate turned to him and nodded slowly, but then went back to his self loathing. Blue sighed, leaning back on the bed and thinking. _'What am I supposed to do?'_ He wondered. _'Should I take another stab at it tomorrow? I could do better.'_ The alternative was skipping the Gym and saving it for another time. He could have just left Saffron and moved on to Vermillion. But that didn't sit right with him. Skipping a Gym could make sense, if he felt like the fight was too one sided. But he had lost with two neutral fights and a legitimate advantage. Leaving now would be the worst.

He shook his head, taking a decision. He would take the Gym again the following day. If he failed, he would rethink his plans. Probably travel south and challenge others before returning. _'I am still in the lead. I can do this.'_ He said to himself with an uncertain smile.

Draconix sat at the table, on a heart-shaped – or better, a Luvdisc-shaped - chair, near a table with a beautiful rose in a vase in the center. The food in front of him, just served, would have usually taken his full attention.

If it wasn't for Leaf, that made him feel severely out of place. _'What am I doing, why, why, oh Arceus what do I do, please, a sign, please…'_

Leaf chuckled, noticing his nervousness "Relax Draconix. You are gonna make me nervous too. You can do this."

He nodded, and slowly brought his hand to the fork. He somehow managed to pick it up and slowly started cutting the meat.

With the fork.

Leaf chuckled once more, and moved his other hand to the knife. "Use this." She said "I think it will prove more effective."

He blabbed something that could have sounded like an apology, and grabbed the right object. _'I need to calm down. Seriously, calm down. Imagine this is… A Pokémon Battle!' _He thought, nodding mentally at his own realization _'Yes, I have had no problem fighting in front of a large crowd, or win against strong trainers. I can calm down.'_ He said to himself. A calm expression finally came to him, even if it was just a mask. _'Just like a fight so…' _He racked his brain _'Go for the offensive!'_

"So, what do you like?" Leaf suddenly asked "Movies?"

"Oh… I…" _'She attacked first. Block, block!' _"Yeah, I like them. Have you seen Ariados Man? I think the new movies are great."

"You don't like the older ones? I think the first trilogy had some great stuff in it, even if they are dated effects-wise. Palossand-Man whole origin is so sad…"

"Oh, yeah, that's great." _'Good, it connected, keep going on the attack.'_ He thought. _'We can do this.'_

Draconix sat on the couch of the Pokémon Center, Raziel next to him. The dark-haired trainer was doing his best not to laugh, while covering his face. The other decided to not take the bait, just sitting there, red like a tomato.

'_Ok, I have to ask.'_ Raziel decided after a while "And in the end did you win?" He said, his attempt at a serious expression cracking in a smile.

"I… Kinda did?" He said.

"Wait what."

"She said it was a nice date. After we broke the ice, things were easier. She is actually really easy to speak to when you start." He replied. Noticing Raziel's shocked expression, he pouted "Come on don't look at me like I'm speaking just nonsense."

"Well, I mean, it's Leaf, you have been speaking with her for all this time without problems." Raziel pointed out with a grin. "And I am just surprised your idea worked, not that you did it. I was rooting for you."

Draconix chuckled "I suppose so… But you know, it was different from our usual talking. I didn't expect to ever speak with her about what we like and our interests besides Pokémon fights just because we needed to know if we are compatible."

Raziel smiled "And I am guessing you are, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation. But exactly what do you mean by 'kinda did'?"

Draconix shade turned further red, making him now look like an even brighter tomato "Well, she asked me where I am going after this, and I said I am going to try and take Vermillion. And she said…" He put his hand on his face "She said she could come with me, at least until we make it to Saffron. After that we'll see."

Raziel clapped slowly, with a grin "My friend, congratulations."

"Are you being sarcastic?"

"Nope." Raziel replied "I am genuinely happy for you. You deserve this." He added, putting an arm around his shoulders "Although, I wonder what this means for Giuls."

"Why?"

"I thought she and Leaf were meant to travel together until Saffron. Did she change her plans?"

Draconix pondered the question, then just raised his shoulders and shook his head "I don't know. I guess?"

"Yeah, probably. They are best friends after all."

"What do you mean I have to go alone?" Giuls asked.

"Well, the thing is, I want to know Draconix better, and it would be weird to travel in three when the point is to be only the two of us. So…"

"Wait, wait, wait, slow down." Giuls said, suddenly perking up. She completely ignored the breakfast she was having a moment before, focused on what her friend had said "You are jumping from first date to traveling as a couple."

Leaf went slightly red "Well, the intention is just to know him a bit more as he is without you or Raziel around. So to do that, I want to go with him. After all, if we are tired of each other after a day or two, how can we have a solid relation?"

Giuls had to admit it made sense. She knew Draconix was a good guy, so she wasn't particularly worried about anything going wrong. He wouldn't get angry and leave Leaf alone even if the two decided to not be a thing, at least until she was in Saffron. "Well, I am the last person that wants to get in the way of your happiness. Just keep me updated."

"You know I will. Especially because otherwise you are going to pester me until I speak."

"You know me too well." Giuls replied with a smile "I am also keeping Lailah updated."

"Of course you are. What does she think?"

"She cheers for you. She is also sorry she can't be here." Giuls replied.

"Eh, is no big deal. Getting an internship in Johto with the possibility of becoming a full on Trainee for a Gym Leader must be real tough." She replied "I'm just sorry we couldn't set up a start together, between you getting the dex and me…"

"You just wanting to start cause you were so excited, I know. Which by the way raises the question. What happened to you?"

Leaf sighed "I got lost."

"On a straight series of roads?"

"Well, is more accurate to say I wanted to see everything. I went to the League to see what it looked like, I spent a few days in Viridian and a more in Pewter… I guess you beat me."

The tomboy smiled "Well, I think you had a good idea. We should enjoy this journey, otherwise what's the point of picking Competitive Training as our first job?"

Leaf nodded, and the two went back to their breakfast. After a while, Giuls spoke again "Say, should we go watch Draconix match?"

"Nah." Leaf replied. "I promised him to not put more pressure on him. Even Raziel is training."

"Oh, what a surprise, he never does that." Giuls replied.

"Touché. But no. I am sure Draconix will do just fine."

Draconix took a deep breath as he walked through the Gym. Winning in Cerulean now was a lot more important than it had been the day before.

He fought with Charmeleon one of his opponents, a Staryu, that went down leaving his Pokémon in relatively good condition. _'Fearow will be my main weapon, but I need Charmeleon to still be able to put up a bit of a fight.'_ He thought. Magikarp was growing, but slowly. It was a long way to Gyarados.

And with that in mind, he made his way to the Gym Leader. Except it wasn't who he expected.

Blue had tried to memorize the route to the Gym Leader, he really had.

He had also failed at it, and so had found himself to 'enjoy' once more the beauty of trial and error. At least, the experience was decent warm up for the Gym battle. Still, he was quite annoyed when he made his way to the main arena.

He looked up at the position where Cosmo was supposed to be. And that was when he was surprised by what he saw. His opponent welcomed him, but he did not recognize him.

"Hello." The man said with a grin "I see you expected Cosmo. Unfortunately, something happened tonight, and the Gym Leaders have been summoned to the League. I hope this isn't too much of a bother. I assure you, I am at least on par with Cosmo."

The man who was talking was an older man, perhaps in his early sixties or late fifties, wearing a green tracksuit and an orange hat he removed to reveal a partially bald head, the remaining air covered. "I am Adam, Sabrina's predecessor as Saffron's Gym Leader. That was a decade ago, but I assure you I am not rusty. How many medals do you have?"

"Two." Blue replied.

"Then it's three on three." He replied, launching his first choice in the field.

Blue did the same, but he could not help but wonder what Cosmo was doing at the League.


	43. Chapter 42: Substitute

"Alright, kid, let's get started!" Said the substitute Gym Leader. Draconix nodded, looking at her. The older sister of Gym Leader Misty was a young woman with pink hair.

"So, a two v two for your second badge, correct?" She asked. Draconix nodded, and she smiled "Don't worry, I may not be my sister, but I am the second best. Violet always says the family gets better with every younger sibling. Pity our parents stopped at four." She chuckled "Well, shall we begin?"

Draconix nodded _'I wish it was Misty though. Fighting a substitute is just not the same.'_ He thought, though he kept it for himself. At least the Gym was open, unlike Viridian.

He sent out Charmeleon, and the young woman nodded "Very well, provisional Gym Leader Lily will take you on." And saying so, she sent out a Psyduck. The Water-type's eyes seemed lost and he was clearly feeling a bad headache. Draconix, though, knew that was bad. The worse a Psyduck headache, the stronger the Pokémon.

"Charmeleon, watch out and get ready to dodge. Keep your distance for now." He said. Charmeleon nodded and fired a barrage of Ember, but the Psyduck simply took the blow with little pain and answered with a Water Pulse. Charmeleon narrowly avoided the water blast, that splashed on the wall behind him, and grinned unleashing more Ember. Draconix studied the impact, and realized something wasn't right. Rather than hitting Psyduck, it seemed to stop just barely before him. _'It can't be…'_

"He is using his psychic power to Protect himself!" He shouted. He noticed Lily mutter something as Psyduck launched another Water Pulse. "Plan B Charmeleon, go for the new move!"

He could see the lizard grin once more as it launched a barrage of Ember, that stopped once more. However, when the Water Pulse came, Charmeleon responded with a SmokeScreen. The move created a curtain of pitch black smoke that quickly engulfed the field, leaving the Psyduck unable to aim. Of course Charmeleon, on the other hand, was perfectly capable of seeing in his own smoke, as his eyes were adapted to it.

"Charge!" Draconix shouted, and Charmeleon launched himself in the smoke.

"Guard yourself Psyduck!" Lily shouted back. There was the sound of an impact, then another. _'Charmeleon is attacking the barrier and Psyduck is trying to keep it up. Now it's only a matter of who gives in first. If he stops attacking even for a moment…'_

Charmeleon hit with Breaking Claws, finding only the Protect wall in his way. He rolled out of the way of a Water Gun aimed to his left and responded with another Breaking Claw, just to find the Protect stopping him again.

'_How can he tell?!'_ He wondered. He should have been invisible in the middle of the Smoke Screen, and he was purposely moving his tail around to disguise his body position even in the chance Psyduck could see something.

He avoided a Water Pulse that flew just over his head, and attacked with another Breaking Claw. Once again, the barrier. However, he took the time to look at the Pokémon eyes, only to find them closed. And, he noticed, the Psyduck was now desperately rubbing his head. _'I see…'_ He thought as a Water Gun hit his arm and he growled in pain. _'He isn't using his sight to find me. He is using his powers.'_

It made sense. The Water-type was using some mental power to find him in the smoke and predict his attacks. He bent down and dashed to the left, just in time to see the Pokémon open his eyes, covered in tears because of the smoke, and fire the Water Gun. _'He has to stop his radar to fire, uh?'_ He grinned.

Charmeleon lunged forward. Protect activated as he tried to hit him in the stomach with a Breaking Claw, and then the response he was waiting for came. The Pokémon beak opened to fire. The Water Gun came, but rather than dodge it Charmeleon focused on attacking. The Claws impacted in Psyduck's body just as the attack hit the Fire-type's head, making them both take a step back. However, Charmeleon was faster at recovering. He moved down and hit with an uppercut. The beak was a nice target, and Charmeleon watched in satisfaction as Psyduck up. He fired an Ember for good measure, but at the same time Psyduck launched one last Water Pulse. The water sphere and the Ember missed each other and hit the respective targets.

By the time Psyduck landed on the field, they were both down.

"Well, I must say I did not expect this." Lily said, calling back Psyduck at the same time as Draconix with Charmeleon "But good on you. One v one then."

Draconix nodded, though he couldn't avoid feeling that Misty wouldn't have fallen for that tactic like she had. But he simply put the thought away and sent out his last Pokémon.

Fearow flew out of his Poké Ball just as Lily opened the pool and released the Seaking. The Water-type and the Flying-type stared at each other with a knowing look.

"_Good luck to you."_ Said Seaking.

"_Same to you."_ Fearow replied with a grin. A wild Pokémon, same as him, and one like him that came from a pack of some kind, a school of fishes in this case. The moment the battle started, Fearow launched himself down with Peck, to which the opponent answered with Horn Attack jumping out of the water.

Both Pokémon were sent back by the impact, but neither stopped, rather advancing. Like a Fencer with their sword, Fearow unleashed a rain of Fury Attack, to which Seaking responded in kind, his horn matching the speed of Fearow's beak and either blocking or redirecting his attacks. They both grinned as they exchanged blow after blow. They knew the moment an opening formed, the loser would likely get hit many times before recovering. Then Fearow found the opening.

He parried a blow of the horn and immediately responded with a Fury, but it was a trap, with Seaking unleashing a sudden Water Sport. The sprinkle of water had no appreciable effects, except putting Fearow off stance for a second. It was enough for Seaking to hit with a Horn Attack his opponent. Fearow, however, did not stop. Rather, he unleashed his new move. Air formed around his beak as he swung it downward. The motion did not catch Seaking by surprise, but the follow up did: Fearow bent his neck upward and the beak hit its mark. The Aerial Ace found purchase in the opponent's body, sending the Seaking fly backwards.

Fearow took a deep breath as he retook control before falling in the water. The Aerial Ace was still hard to execute, but it worked well. More importantly, there was no way to dodge it: jumping, moving back or even hiding would not save someone from the two-steps movement of the attack: it was too fast to get out of the way, and too strong to not feel the damage.

Seaking run back in the fight, and Fearow dodged an Horn Attack by inches, before answering with Fury Attack. The beak found purchase five times in the Seaking flank and sent it fly backwards. This time, it did not move back up.

Fearow sang in triumph.

"Well, congratulations!" Said Lily. Draconix beamed, as Fearow landed next to him "You really proved yourself today. I am happy to give you the badge." She said, handing him the droplet-shaped object. The young trainer took it, placing it next to the Boulder Badge.

"Can I ask a question?" He asked.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Where is Misty? As far as I know, she is one of the Gym Leaders with the best track records for presence."

Lily nodded "And you are right. But the League summoned her, so she had no choice. I believe most Gym Leaders were summoned, in fact."

"Oh. Something bad going on?"

"I am not sure." Lily replied "But even if I knew, I couldn't tell you. League affairs stay in the League." She added, with a clear expression on her face.

"Oh, I am not trying to snoop around. I just wanted to ask. Well, goodbye." Draconix explained. _'Weird how fast she got defensive.'_ He thought, but figured it was none of his business. Which brought back to mind his actual business _'Alright, I have other stuff to think about anyway.' _After all, traveling with Leaf was going to be interesting.

Raticate dodged the Headbutt from Drowzee and responded with a Bite. With satisfaction, he watched the Pokémon go down. His rematch was going well. Alone, he had taken down the first Psychic-type without losing much in terms of his own strength.

That was when Kadabra entered the field. The old man chuckled "Well, your Raticate is well trained. I see you put a lot of work into his development."

Raticate glanced back at Blue. The trainer from Pallet seemed happy on one side, but on the other he seemed… disappointed? _'Am I not doing well enough?'_ He wondered. He brought his thoughts back to the fight, shaking his head. He was probably just misreading his trainer.

And then came the impact. The Confusion sent him flying backward, rolling on the floor. He got up, and responded jumping back up and attacking with Bite, but he barely grazed the opponent before another Confusion sent him backward and had him go down.

'_Good job Raticate.'_ The Trainer thought, before sending out Wartortle. The Water-type hit with his Mega Punch almost immediately, startling the Kadabra and slowing his reaction enough to get out of Confusion's range.

"He was trusting you'd launch him in a position where he could freely attack." Blue nodded.

"We have been training to measure what distance he can jump when getting out of the Poké Ball."

"Some people would call it a cheap tactic." The old man said, before cackling "I am not one of those. Good job kid. We'll see if it's enough."

Wartortle launched a Water Gun. The water however hit a Light Screen, barely fazing the Kadabra. _'He is baiting us in close combat.'_ Blue realized _'Alright, let's see where we can go.'_ He thanked his luck for choosing Wartortle over Kadabra in his rematch. If Kadabra was on the field, the sheer disadvantage caused by the move would have probably caused his defeat. "Alright, go for the offensive Wartortle, but watch out for Confusion!"

The Pokémon nodded and launched himself forward using Rapid Spin. The new move turned him in essentially a new version of Sonic the Cyndaquil, something that a few of his Pokémon seemed to have noticed as well for their hilarity. Despite this, Kadabra took it seriously and responded with another Confusion. The rotation slowed down, but did not stop, and the blow still made him stagger. However, the impact against the walls damaged Wartortle a lot more.

"Change tactic, we need to end him with a single hit, you got it?" Blue asked. Wartortle grinned and nodded back.

"Very bold of you. Let's see if you can do it." The substitute Gym Leader replied.

Wartortle lunged forward again with Rapid Spin. The rolling shell made its way to the Kadabra, once more slowed down by Confusion. However, at the last second a foot came out, the rotation bringing it down on the Kadabra's head. The Mega Kick sent Kadabra's head all the way down to the floor, and broke the confusion. Rapid Spin regained speed just in time for the Mega Punch to hit, its power strengthened by the movement. Kadabra fell to the floor, defeated.

"Ah. You could after all." The substitute commented, laughing. "Very well then. One last Pokémon for me, two Pokémon for you. Let's see how this goes." Adam said, throwing a Poké Ball.

The Venomoth entering the field was not the Pokémon Blue expected.

"Venomoth?" Blue asked surprised, looking at the great moth.

"Yes. What's with that face?"

"Well, this is a Psychic-type Gym, so I expected…"

"Not everyone becomes a Specialist to run a Gym, kid. Although, back in my day Venomoth was classified as a Psychic, before they reclassified it as Poison. I guess you could say I de-specialized?" The older man explained "Also, Poison Powder."

"Poison Pow…" Blue suddenly turned his attention to the field, noticing Wartortle desperately trying and failing at dodging the poisonous scales of Venomoth's wings.

"Never get distracted, or your Pokémon pay the price."

"That's a…"

"Cheap tactic? Kid, first of all, rich coming from you, and second, one day you'll learn that there are no cheap tactics, just tactics that work and tactics that don't." The older trainer replied, as the Poison started to take effect on Wartortle. The Pokémon responded with a Water Gun, but the Light Screen was still in effect, and most of the attack was dispersed.

Blue grunted in response, and changed tactic. Since the Poison was going to take him down anyway, there was no reason to try and stall. Better get in as much damage as possible before the last confrontation.

Wartortle attacked with a Rapid Spin, bouncing on the ground to hit right in the chest of the Venomoth. The moth rolled back regaining control, and attacked with a Signal Beam. The shining light launched Wartortle backwards and the Pokémon regained his footing just to fall for the Poison.

"Alright, good job." He said, before sending out Pidgeotto.

Flying-type and Bug-type stared at each other, studying the opponent without taking the first move.

The first to launch ahead was Pidgeotto. The Flying-type created a Gust that sent Venomoth flailing his wings as it rolled backwards, but the moth regained its composure just in time to respond with Confusion. Pidgeotto, however, moved out of the area of the move and continued to hit with Gust… just to be impacted in the chest by a Signal Beam and crash on the floor.

Pidgeotto chuckled standing back up _"That's one hell of a beam you have."_

"_Thanks, and your Gust is good too."_

"_Wait till you see the rest."_

Pidgeotto took flight again, and launched another Gust. The opponent's Signal Beam this time missed him, if barely, and he launched forward to use Wing Attack. The wing impacted on the Venomoth abdomen… and stopped there, as Confusion sent him flying backward and hit a wall.

Pidgeotto studied the situation. A slugfest was the best description of the fight he could come up with. A slugfest he was slightly losing. On the bright side, he finally saw the Light Screen shimmer and disappear. _'At least now Gust will work properly.'_ He thought. Still, that was barely better. If he moved too close, Confusion was going to hit him. At a distance, the enemy had the beam. He looked at Blue, looking for a suggestion as he dodged another Beam.

His trainer was studying the opponent, now busy launching a barrage of Signal Beams. Pidgeotto narrowly avoided them all, and responded with Gust. To his satisfaction, the compressed air left him with an opening when it hit the left wing. He lunged forward, and in that moment heard Blue clearly "Gust on the ground!" He shouted.

Pidgeotto smiled, and moved backward, pointing to the arena floor. With a flap of his wings, raised a storm of powder and sand in the direction of Venomoth. The Sand Attack stopped the Signal Beams, as the Pokémon tried to recover, just in time for Pidgeotto to hit with a Wing Attack. The follow up Confusion was too slow to stop him, and his Gust finished the job.

Blue smiled watching Venomoth fall to the floor.

"I see, so 'Gust on the ground' meant Sand Attack. Quite smart kid." Adam said, walking forward "Here is your badge."

"Thanks." Blue said, taking the Swamp Badge. However, deep down he felt like something was not right. _'I hoped to fight Cosmo, not a substitute without even a full Psychic team.' _He thought, realizing what that feeling meant.

He chose to not speak it out loud, but just thanked the substitute Gym Leader and left. He tried to smile, but he didn't feel like he had truly beaten the Gym. He had lost against Cosmo and barely won against Adam. _'It's a victory, but is not what I want.' _He thought, before chastising himself. His team had done his best, and he was not going to ruin their victory by pouting about not beating Cosmo.

Still, he did wonder what he was doing.

Cosmo observed the great hall. The room was made for meetings where all Gym Leaders, the Elite Four and the Champion were present, but for now only seven of those chairs were taken. The six gym leaders in the room, and the single Elite Four.

Agatha, the oldest Elite Four of Kanto, was simply waiting, like she expected something to happen soon.

"So, what is the meeting about exactly?" Janine asked. The Gym Leader from Fuchsia was the youngest in the room, at nineteen. Cosmo wasn't surprised she was the less patient.

Agatha shook her head "Calm down, girl, we need to wait for the Champion and the others before we begin. Also, who knows, Blaine and Giovanni might show up after all."

"As if." Misty said, the young Water-type Gym leader snickering "Giovanni never comes to a meeting, and Blaine is still in house arrest and has made it clear he is unwilling to violate it even when the law would technically permit him to."

"That was the least of the punishments he could have expected." Voltts replied. The elder Gym Leader from Vermillion, Lt. Surge's successor, with his blonde hair, blonde mustache and yellow eyes, shook his head "To think one of us would work on that inhumane project…"

"Really, General? You find it offensive? Because I seem to recall there was proof of army funding going in it. Oh, but of course it was after you retired, so you get to call it inhumane now…" Cosmo replied with a smirk.

Voltts mustaches started to tremble with rage, something more than one in the room found hilarious, but Agatha hit the ground with her cane "Enough. We are not here to discuss Blaine."

"Then what are we here to discuss?"

"New informations." A voice said from the door. They all turned to see Lorelei, Sabrina and Lt. Surge walk in the room. The one that had spoken, however, was the Champion of the Kanto League. Everyone stood up as they walked forward and sat down on their chairs.

"What kind of informations?"

"Many, including the worst kind." He said with a smile, and everyone shivered "Project M2 was not a failure."

Everyone stared at the Champion, then at each other. Trace's expression made it clear he was serious.


End file.
